


Outsomnia

by Banira, MakikoIgami



Series: Outsomnia Series [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Ardyn became the King of Light, Artists, Awkward Sexual Situations, Bromance to Romance, Dick size comparisons, Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, First Time, First Time Blow Jobs, Gen, I swear by the time I finish this fic the tags will be as long as the first chapter, M/M, Masturbation, Mild Mental Health Issues, Nifelheim still wants to conquer the world, Noctis didn't go to a public school, Noctis will be king, OST by OLDCODEX, Politics, Prompto still has his barcode, Prompto's caretaker died when he was 14, Sexual Trauma, Slow Burn, Soap Opera Drama, Social Issues, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Strangers to Lovers, War, but the way will be long, he's gonna juggle both being a rock star and a king, it'll be fun, more tags to come, naked men in public bathrooms, no magic, talk about porn, talk about prostitution
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2019-02-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 13:20:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 51
Words: 233,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12984900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Banira/pseuds/Banira, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MakikoIgami/pseuds/MakikoIgami
Summary: At the age of 23, Prompto had managed to make a living out of what had once been his hobby: photography. He had studied art at a small university here in Insomnia and there he had learned how to combine his photos with digital post-processing, print them on canvas and paint on them to turn them into unique artworks. They had become his trademark and apparently, there were a lot of people who liked to hang these kinds of pictures on their walls.One day, he meets abeautifulstranger who might just have some resemblance to the crown prince and invites him for coffee. Oh, the stranger has a band? Now that'll be interesting.Edit: I have added Banira as a co-creator, as she is responsible for the visuals for this story! I couldn't have done this without her, so she has earned her spot there!





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thank you for clicking the link to this story. This is my first multi-chapter story in a VERY long time and it's gonna be a monster. (Then again, everything I write for this fandom turns out to be a monster, so this shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.)
> 
> What is the premise? So, basically this is just a Rockstar AU in which I imagined that Noctis, who lives the life of a "normal" crown prince in a world where Ardyn had become the King of Light 2000 years ago, might need another hobby to get his blood pumping that isn't just fishing. Something to break free from the stiff court protocols and just get out there. Of course, he hides his real name for security reasons and will not reveal himself for a few chapters here, but hiding that fact would be... well. I don't think I could fool you.
> 
> The other thing is the background of that idea: Some might know that … Noctis' Japanese voice actor has been in business for quite some time and while doing voice work and the usual seiyuu idol-related stuff (pop songs, photo books, you name it), he wanted to do something to express his inner self and likings so he wanted to do rock music and be more experimental. He actually was pretty successful in voice acting but wanted to do something different, something more to his liking, something that was his personal style and also an outlet for everything he wasn’t allowed to do in his “main” work field. So he started his band and it is now some kind of experimental band with his vocals and artworks by a painter . They always do a show with songs and live paintings and their music ranges from experimental electro pop to mostly heavy metal hard rock (and sometimes lots of screaming).
> 
> So basically this is a story loosely based on the meeting and background events of said band (title is from one of their songs), in a world in which Noctis never got the freedom to go to a public school and never ran into Prompto and where Prompto had to go his own way and became an artist all by himself!
> 
> This is an alternative universe about how these two meet up for the first time and become best friends... and eventually more. This will be very slow burn and build (I am not kidding you!), basically a strangers to lovers story and of course there will also be some drama.
> 
> Updates Mondays!

* * *

"This is what the artist called the _Tenebraen Delight_. You will be reminded of a nice autumn day in the city in the woods with its unique architecture just by looking at this picture of the pastry, enhanced by the multitude of colors that the artist added in his unique way of post-processing."

Prompto Argentum raised his head and listened to the gallery owner's words of praise, smiling to himself where he sat in the office of the high street gallery while the owner led his current customer through the bright and large front room that exhibited his artwork.

When Prompto had touched up the picture in question before printing it, he hadn't really thought much about it, just slapped some colors and filters over the picture he had taken of a _really_ nice pastry until it looked like something out of a fantasy. He had never been to Tenebrae yet; he could only tell how the city looked like from movies he had seen and pictures in all those books about photography that he owned. His dream was to see the place himself one day, but he still had a long way to go and lot of his artworks to sell until then.

At the age of 23, Prompto had managed to make a living out of what had once been his hobby: photography. He had studied art at a small university here in Insomnia and there he had learned how to combine his photos with digital post-processing, print them on canvas and paint on them to turn them into unique artworks. They had become his trademark and apparently, there were a lot of people who liked to hang these kinds of pictures on their walls.

"What about this one?" Today's customer asked, a tall man with glasses and spiked up hair, who had been browsing the gallery for the better of the past hour. He seemed to have taken a liking to Prompto's current line of artworks, all of them food related.

"Oh, _this_ is _Mount Ravatogh_ , called this way because it was apparently the spiciest curry the artist had ever eaten," Weskham Armaugh explained, gesturing to the whole canvas with his arm, which the other man followed with cool interest. Mr. Armaugh, the gallery owner, was already in his fifties and had very catching looks, white cornrow braids with a monocle, that Prompto was sure he only had for show.

Prompto chuckled, hiding further behind his work computer in the air-conditioned office of the prestigious gallery. It was true, the picture showed the spiciest curry he had ever eaten, decorated so that it looked like the great vulcan of Eos. In the middle, he had rebuilt the mountain with a collection of pictures he had taken of the real thing over the course of several mornings, painted over with a thick brush tinted in a mix of red, brown and orange. Sometimes he became hungry just looking at it, so he kind of hoped that a restaurant chain would buy this one.

Somehow, Tall and Bespectacled didn't quite strive him as a restaurant owner though. Prompto wrinkled his nose in thought as he tried to pinpoint where he would see the man, but all that he could come up with was something not-so-legal. He sighed and went back to work on his laptop, putting some finishing touches to the poster design for his friend's upcoming collaborative exhibition. Bellis wanted a more expressive take on her artwork, and since Prompto had been designing posters since before he had even thought about attending art university and she had helped him a lot with finding customers for his own artworks, it was basically a no-brainer for him to do that for her.

Bellis Perennis' upcoming vernissage was a collection of various collaborations with other young and upcoming artists and Prompto was a big part of that as well. His expressive and experimental art style clashed with her rather simple paintings, but somehow they had clicked. Where Bellis was sometimes restricted by her own abilities, Prompto was able to take her ideas to heights that she would have never thought about. It worked like that with the other artists she collaborated with as well, and besides the inspiration and exposure, Bellis always made sure that her contractors paid them all well.

It was thanks to her that Prompto's artworks were now at Weskham Armaugh's gallery, one of the most renowned places for contemporary art. He had heard that even the royal court sometimes sent people here to buy and commission artwork, but he had yet to meet one of them himself.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Armaugh. I will tell my employer about Mr. Cry's works-"

" _Mercury_ ," Weskham corrected quickly, even as Prompto winced. It wasn't the first time that this misreading if his name happened. "You read the artist's name as _Mercury_."

"Oh. My mistake, I apologize," Specs said, jotting down some words in his notebook, without a doubt a remark about the pronunciation of Prompto's pseudonym. His artist friends in university had warned him, but he liked the look of MRCRY and it was everywhere already. Usually, customers needed to be told only once, so Prompto was simply annoyed that they still didn't know the difference, _despite_ looking specifically for his paintings. Did his work really look like someone called 'Mr. Cry' made them? Mr. Cry sounded like pain, like sculptures of screaming puppets and not... expressionistic photos of food or other things. Still, it was the pseudonym Prompto had chosen for himself, no use to change it now. If it meant he had to correct and explain to people how to pronounce his name, then be it.

Besides, Prompto himself looked nowhere like a 'Mr. Cry' either. He wore clothes too big for his lithe frame, even though he liked to showed off his arms and liked tight pants. So he would go for long shirts and wide cardigans when it was too cold, and accentuate his arm muscles with leather bands and bandanas wrapped around his biceps. Some of his friends would even tease him for looking too thin from years of having not enough to eat after he had to save for his art supplies and sickly with his too pale skin. Whenever he'd go into the sun though, he wouldn't tan and the only thing that happened was that the multitude of freckles on his face increased tenfold and before _that_ happened, Prompto would rather be called sickly.

"You will hear from us. Thank you again for your service, I will personally see to compensate you for your efforts," Specs said and shook the gallery owner's hand with his own gloved one before he turned around and left. Prompto saw him enter a sleek black car and drive off towards the center of the city with roaring engines.

Sighing, he turned his attention back to his project, just to frown as he had somehow lost all inspiration to work on the poster. He had hoped that the change of location from his rather small apartment to a high class location would give him new inspiration, but it seemed as if he could get still discouraged by the smallest things. It was a good thing that he still a few more days to work on it.

Taking off his glasses to put them back in their case, Prompto closed his laptop as well and waited until it had gone to sleep before he put it into his messenger bag with all his other things. He had left his camera at home for the day and only brought his phone, which had a camera good enough for his purposes anyway. The big camera was his baby and he loved it to bits, but he only brought it out for special occasions, on days that he had taken completely off for photographing.

"Good news, Mercury. This man works for the Citadel and that they got interested in your art is a good sign for you," Weskham said and smiled at Prompto as he sat back down on his desk to sip on his now luke-warm coffee. "This man, Ignis Scentia, he has been here before, looking for contemporary art for the royal collection. I don't know if Bellis ever sold anything to them, but I know that one guy who never had to work afterwards. Only thing he had to do was to paint a giant portrait of the King and his son and that took him about a year because they wanted it to be done traditionally."

"Huh... Well, good thing I don't work traditionally then. I don't think I'd accept such a commission either, no matter how big the profit is," Prompto replied, shouldering his messenger bag just to bow in front of the older man. "Thank you again for everything, Mr. Armaugh, I'm very grateful for this opportunity that you are making possible for me."

"Ah, it's nothing," the gallery owner replied with a benevolent smile. "You've gotten this far with your own hard work and talent, I'm delighted to be a part of your surely outstanding career."

Before Prompto could go on a rant that he didn't do anything special, he just straightened up again and returned the man's smile. After he had said his goodbyes, he left the gallery and groaned as a wall of summer heat hit him square in the face. Nevertheless he took his bike and drove to see Bellis in the venue of her new exhibition away from Insomnia's high street, back in the 'artsy' parts of the city where many small galleries were the home of many young and upcoming artists. It wasn't open to the public yet, but some things had to be arranged ahead and then there was this one guy who was very finicky about the placement and presentation of his sculptures.

"Mercury! How was your day at Weskham's?" Bellis greeted him in the alley behind the gallery with his artist name as he locked up his bike. She insisted on using it as soon as they were together, saying that it supported his alter ego or something. Together, they walked through a corridor that was narrowed by canvases leaning left and right against the walls, past the door to an office and into the labyrinth of exhibition rooms. Prompto was glad to be back in air conditioned environment, especially since it wasn't so bright inside this former apartment behind a shop. Wiping sweat off his face, Prompto's oversized clothes clung to his body despite the fact that he rarely sweated after years of working on his stamina, as he used to have to jog from his place close to the wall to his school and university and back. He still tried to stay fit by taking his bike everywhere and had never shaken the habit of going for a morning run at the break of dawn. Of course, there were exceptions, but Prompto was an early riser anyway.

Bellis's clothes were covered in specks of paint from head to toe, and he could hear the sound of a hammer hitting metal from one of the front rooms over the low bass of some old electronic songs. Prompto smiled and hugged the older woman, bobbing his head to the beat of the song as he recognized which one it was.

"It was great. Someone from the Citadel came and asked Mr. Armaugh all about each and every one of my pictures and was apparently very interested. He got my name wrong though," Prompto sighed, managing a crooked smile even as Bellis gasped at him.

"Holy cannoli, _really_?" she asked, her hands covering her mouth in an attempt to cover up her surprise. "Yohsuke, come here, we've got something to celebrate! The royal court is interested in buying something from Mercury here!"

The sounds of the hammer hitting metal stopped and Prompto braced himself for the impact of Bellis's other partner in crime. He didn't have to wait for long, the tall, lanky sculptor sprinted around the corner and almost knocked Prompto off his feet as he hugged him tight.

"I'm so proud of you!" Yohsuke all but cried, smothering Prompto by holding him to his chest. The blond flailed and thought about pushing the other off for a moment, but he could understand why he was so happy. So he just smiled and patted the other's back, hoping that this hug would be a quick one.

"Thanks, Yohsuke," Prompto tried to get out, although his words were muffled into the other man's black shirt. "Could you... I need to breathe..."

"Oh, right! Sorry," Yohsuke replied, just to push Prompto and arm-length away. Given how long the other's arms were though, that was quite the distance and Prompto's eyes flickered from the other artist's tattoos on his arms to his own, hidden beneath a collection of leather bands. Even though he still had no idea why he had it or what it meant, Prompto didn't feel comfortable at all to show his mark around.

"I'm so happy for you! You're going to the Citadel, that's so exciting! They pay well and I'm sure that Weskham already slapped a great price on your artwork!" Yohsuke said and Prompto felt his face contort into a painful smile.

"Yeah, he asked me what I thought they were worth and multiplied it by ten," Prompto said and winced when both Yohsuke and Bellis gasped.

"You _really_ have to stop selling yourself under worth! It's a surprise you've not killed yourself off by starving yet. Do you eat right? Do you eat all your vegetables?" Bellis asked, going full mother mode on him.

Prompto's smile turned soft again. "Yeah, I do. I eat fresh food, I work out and I even allow myself a burger every now and then."

"Good boy," Bellis smiled and Yohsuke reached out to ruffle his hair.

"Yeah, your health is important," the sculptor added.

"Is that so?" Prompto grinned and pushed the long arms off his shoulders. "Then tell me, who of the two of us needs to go see the doctor because of their blood insufficiency or whatever?"

"Ah, shoot, you got me there," Yohsuke grinned as he put his hands on his hips. "But I manage and you do look a lot better than you did when I first met you, your cheeks actually have a little fat in them."

Prompto swatted the hand away that squeezed his cheeks, rolling his eyes, because Yohsuke always did that to him. To see if he had eaten, or so he had said. Prompto had always felt like in that fairy tale, Hansel and Gretel, where the bloodthirsty witch wanted to see if Hansel had eaten enough to have fattened up enough. Thank god though that Yohsuke turned out to be a vegetarian.

"No need to rub it in," Prompto huffed. "Anyway, I hope things are coming along? I can hear you brought out your work music. Jamiroquai?"

"The master himself. Deeper Underground just has the right amount of bass I need to work on my things," Yohsuke grinned, slinging his arm back around Prompto's shoulders. "But let me show you what I've got."

He steered Prompto over to the room where he had been working before. At first, Prompto only saw a collection of scrap metal that looked vaguely familiar, until he realized _why_ it looked familiar.

"You're working on a sculpture from Bellis's paintings?" Prompto asked, walking around the pile of metal that Yohsuke had obviously hammered into shape with quite some care.

"Yeah. I'm gonna stick her painting on top of when I'm done, but it's gonna take a few more days. It'll be big, so I'm not sure if we'll be able to get it out of here once it's on, but it'll be good," Yohsuke beamed, obviously glad that Prompto had immediately recognized what he wanted to create.

"I'm pretty sure it will! Bellis, are you going to put some of your colors on it, too?" Prompto asked as he looked back at the woman.

"I hadn't thought about it, to be honest. Though now that you mention it... We'll have to see how it looks like once it's done, but I'll keep it in mind! Thanks, Mercury!" the bespectacled woman cheered.

"Don't mention it," Prompto grinned, grateful that he was able to spark new ideas in his friends just like they did to him. "You want to see what I've got for the poster so far?"

"Sure! The sooner we get it printed the better. Come, let's go to the office," Bellis nodded.

The office was a tightly packed tiny room next to the backdoor, with just enough space on the desk for Prompto's laptop to be place upon. Papers were everywhere, contracts and invoices, things that Prompto was more familiar with than he would have ever liked to be. He looked decidedly away from them as he powered up his laptop again, turning it so that Bellis could look at what he had done so far.

She was quiet for a very long moment in which Prompto completely scrapped his design and came up with twenty new ones, worrying his lip as panic started to rise in his chest. He forced himself to take slow and deep breaths so that it wouldn't evolve into a full-blown panic attack before he turned and looked at Bellis.

"I like it," she said. "You just need to slap the dates and the names of the artists on there and then I think it's ready to be printed. Good job, Mercury!"

Smiling, Prompto exhaled slowly as he tried to calm his fast beating heart. "Thanks... I was thinking about a non-serif font that looks a bit like children's handwriting, um, here."

He made a few clicks to choose the font he had been thinking about, then typed in a few dates and moved the text field to where he thought it would fit. Looking up at Bellis's face again, he saw her looking at the screen with benevolence and he smiled, knowing that he was doing the right thing.

"It's great, but make sure to look up the correct dates and names. We'll open on September 1st and it'll be open for three months," Bellis explained, pointing to a piece of paper where she had written the dates. "You know who's exhibiting, right? I have a list somewhere, just let me..."

"It's fine, I know it. I'll put the finishing touches on it now so you can come back in half an hour and have another look at it? Just to make sure I didn't mess up anything, okay?" Prompto replied, looking a little sheepish.

"I know you won't," Bellis said and ruffled his hair before she turned to go.

"Why does everyone have to ruin my hair?!" Prompto whined as he tried to save whatever he could about his hairdo.

"Because it's as soft as a chocobo butt," Bellis said from the door frame, but she was gone before Prompto could retort something.

"My hair does not look like a chocobo butt," he grumbled and continued to work on the poster.

Half an hour later he was finished with the poster and an additional flyer for people to take home. He played around with the positioning of the names and dates, but as Bellis returned, he just put the text fields somewhere where they looked good on a whim. She looked at the screen and congratulated him for another masterpiece, then sat down and double-checked that everything was correct while Prompto watched Yohsuke work on his sculpture again.

He was currently blasting Linkin Park through the whole room and Prompto was pretty sure that he was only doing it to mask the sounds of his hammering. But Prompto liked the beat as well and made a mental note to put a few more songs on his old, faithful iPod, before he asked Yohsuke to have a look at the poster as well and check for spelling and things.

"Wow, Mercury, that looks amazing!" Yohsuke gushed. "I could never work digitally that much. The best I can do is to hit 'optimize' on the photos I take on my phone."

Prompto chuckled. "Thanks... Well, that's basically what I'm doing, too, nothing too complicated. Designing posters is pretty relaxing."

"That's what you say, but I say it's magic," Yohsuke replied, squinting at the screen to take in the details.

"I'd say it's ready to be sent to printing," Bellis said, hands in her hips.

"I can send it in," Prompto offered. "Just need your payment credentials."

"Yeah, sure. Here," Bellis said, digging through the papers on the desk until she came up with a paper with a bank connection it. "Use that. It's the funds for this vernissage."

"Um... sure," Prompto replied, biting his tongue so he didn't ask whether or not it was a good idea to leave such vital information lying around so carelessly. He sat down and quickly connected to the local LAN-Network by plugging in the cable that was lying around amidst all the chaos of papers, uploaded it to the service he and Bellis always used for these things and then hesitated only a little to think about how many posters he was supposed to order. Last time they had had a few boxes over and he didn't know if Bellis wanted to go around more aggressively this time. Maybe he could ask Mr. Armaugh to hang a poster in his shop as well. Or at least have a flyer for every customer who bought one of his artworks.

He groaned, because he was probably still thinking much too low-class. People who bought from Weskham Armaugh didn't need flyers or posters, they just _knew_ when they needed to know. Or had people like Ignis Scentia who knew these things for you. Still, he typed in a number for the posters and another, higher one for the flyers before he sent them off and decided that they could still order more if it wasn't enough.

They still had another week to advertise the vernissage with his visuals now.

~*~

In the end, Prompto had asked Mr. Armaugh to hand out flyers for the vernissage to people who were interested in his artworks after Bellis's and Yohsuke's insistence. By the middle of the week, Mr. Scientia had come back to make the final purchase for ' _Tenebraen Delight_ ' and so he was one of the first and only people to take such a flyer home with him. It was a bit embarrassing for Prompto to listen to Mr. Armaugh describing how Mr. Scentia had put the flyer carefully into his notebook as he waited for the painting to be packed up.

Still, he was overjoyed to learn that one of his artworks had been sold to the royal court and would find a nice place in the citadel. Amidst the stress of getting posters and flyers distributed everywhere, getting his artwork hung up in the gallery, drinks organised for the guests and just the general stress of organising a new exhibition, it was good to know that he had enough money to live without worries for the next half year. And with the new exhibition coming up, Prompto was sure that he didn't have to worry about much in the future either.

The day of the vernissage came and Prompto had to be there and look good. He had taken his camera to make people recognize him easier as MRCRY, but he didn't really think that he would take many pictures. In the end he had a bunch of new selfies with his friends, talked to a few interested customers and, heeding Mr. Armaugh's tactic, he multiplied what he thought his artwork was worth by 8 instead of his usual 5 and rounded up. With the fact that he was now able to say that the royal court had bought one of his artworks, people didn't argue too much about his pricing.

As the night progressed, he was sure that he saw a sleek black car with the royal insignia outside of the gallery, but he chalked it up to his imagination after Yohsuke had insisted that he needed to introduce him to someone.

Prompto stayed in bed all of the following day, when the exhibition opened to the public, completely knocked out by a hangover. All the champagne people had made him drink at the party had been bad enough. What had given him the rest was the afterparty, where they had all gone to a nearby grill restaurant and eaten like the starved people they were. And on top of that, the bar owner had given them free rounds of beer, since it was the birthday of the prince of Lucis or something. The hangover had hit Prompto like a truck after that. Once he felt alive again on Monday after the vernissage, he went to see how the exhibition was going.

As expected, the place was mostly empty, but then again, it was still before lunch and no one ever came to an art gallery before the sun went down anyway. Yet, there was one customer standing in the room with Prompto's pictures, staring intensely at each and every one of them, unfazed by anything happening around him. He didn't even acknowledge Prompto as he stepped into the room as well.

Something about this young man struck Prompto as familiar, with his black hair peeking out from where it wasn't hidden by the high-collared puffy looking vest and the baseball cap that he had pulled low into his face, obscuring half of what looked... perfect to Prompto.

Still, the stranger looked far too warmly dressed for the summer heat, black jeans and big, expensive looking sports shoes. If it weren't for the t-shirt that he was wearing, that looked like one of those that professional runners wore which were apparently so light and good for cooling you down, Prompto would have hurried over and asked him to lose that vest once he went back outside into the heat.

It was in that moment that the stranger noticed his presence and turned his gaze from Prompto's newest artwork _Vanilla Moon_ to the artist, his face lighting up with recognition.

"Hey, um, are you the artist of these, MRCRY?" Mr. puffy vest asked as he pointed to the canvas and Prompto was honestly very impressed that he got the name perfectly right on the first try. Not even Prompto would ever take that much time to really leave out the vowels.

"Um... yeah? I am... I am Mercury," Prompto replied, trying not to blush too hard at the sparkle his reply ignited in this perfect man's grey-blue eyes.

"Hi, I'm Noct-... Noct Gar and I'm a big fan of your artwork," perfect face said and Prompto couldn't quite handle the tiny blush that grazed these perfect cheekbones. He was so distracted for a second that he almost missed the next part.

"Would you... Could I invite you out for a coffee?"

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank my wife for thinking up this huge ass story and AU with me, for helping me edit this work and make it better than what I could have made this on my own. Also Yuneyn, because she was all in for Rockstar!Noct. ;D
> 
> Once again a reminder: this will be a slow burn story!


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did Prompto take this mysterious man up on his offer for coffee? 
> 
> In this chapter, we will see how Prompto works, how he lives and a bit of what his daily live is like.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you for sticking with me this far! I've had an overwhelming response to this story in the first chapter (at least for my standards). I do feel like I owe you some explanations, but well, I'll do my very best to explain all things in due time.
> 
> However, there are a few things you should know: 
> 
> For one, I've found a sample of the song title I used. It's on Apple music, which I hope most of you can access easily enough. (I could, and that means something because most of youtube gets blocked where I come from because of some songs. It's annoying.) [Track No. 8 is Outsomnia](https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/they-go-where/1258117731).
> 
> Part two of the announcements are the artworks my wife is doing for this story. We want to accompany every chapter with visuals, sometimes more, sometimes a little less.  
> No. 1 is [Prompto with his glasses](https://twitter.com/vaniracoke/status/941405686386348032), being all cute on twitter.  
> No. 2 is [the last scene of the previous chapter](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/168653507676/hey-guys-so-makikoigami-is-working-on-a), where Noctis is being all cute on tumblr.
> 
> Isn't that funny? I'm writing about artists and rockstars and everyone is being so SUPER CUTE in those artworks. xD
> 
> So, now, without further ado, have chapter 2.

* * *

"Why didn't you _go?_ " Yohsuke complained as Prompto updated him on what had happened earlier this Monday. The sculptor was at the exhibition to check on the work and tried to squeeze some answers out of Prompto about his almost date.

Even if Yohsuke insisted that he simply wanted to come to check on how people were taking the exhibition, Prompto was sure he only wanted to escape from his own apartment. No matter how great the view from up there was, living under the roof of an old building with no air condition in this hot and humid weather was simply torture these days. For as long as Prompto had known the sculptor, he never bothered to invest into even a ventilator and the blond still didn't understand why. The first thing _he_ had done after having earned enough money was to buy a nice air-conditioner because he absolutely loathed working in the summer heat. It was the main reason why he had lost progress on some pictures before, since his beloved laptop would just shut down when it was too hot. Thus, Prompto argued that he really just needed the air conditioner for work.

"Oh come on, it was _totally_ creepy. Like, stalker-creepy with the extra cherry of stranger danger on top," Prompto explained with a long, exasperated sigh. "Dude, don't act that surprised, I explained why I didn't go."

"You said you didn't go because 'stranger danger', but all that I heard was how amazing this guy looked and how you were too shy to take him up on his offer," Yohsuke huffed, adjusting Bellis's picture on top of his humongous sculpture. Prompto took a careful step over what looked like a tentacle to him as he kept talking to the other artist. At the jab, he glared at him over what seemed to be a shoulder of the figure.

"I... Come on. I was not. I talked to him and told him very nicely that I couldn't go with him because there was still too much to do for the exhibition," the blond huffed, crossing his arms in front of his pale yellow longshirt as he shifted his weight back on his left foot.

"Yes, and that _is_ very impressive for you. Still, I think you were getting cold feet because it seemed someone might be interested in _you_ rather than your art," Yohsuke shot back, nodding at the sculpture once had adjusted the piece of paper to his liking.

"Dude. No. I mean, I was afraid that he wanted to maim me in a deserted alley, but I wasn't scared that..." Prompto frowned, because he didn't remember where he wanted to go with that sentence when he started it anymore. "Also, I'm sure he just wanted to peg me for a cheap commission or something. Like a portrait of his girlfriend or something."

"You said his eyes lit up with a sparkle when you confirmed that you were the one he was looking for?"

"...Yes, but what does that have to do with anything? It could just have been my imagination!" Prompto huffed, going back to pacing around the large room around Yohsuke's mermaid-octopus-hybrid inspired by Bellis's self-portrait.

"It means _everything_ because you _wanted_ it to see there," Yohsuke huffed as he carefully stepped around some pastel colored metal tentacles. "And now you're getting your self-defenses up high so you don't have to open up and face the fact that there are nice strangers outside and that you could just find someone who likes you for who you are. Or that you could even get as far as let yourself fall in love," Yohsuke sing-songed, making Prompto groan.

"Stop teasing me. Just because Cidney moved before I ever got the chance to ask her out-"

"You've had all the chances in the world," Bellis chimed in as she walked through the door. "You just thought you had all the time in the world. The girl had been right there in front of you, waiting for a definite sign to change your _friendship_ into something romantic, but you didn't see it."

"What she said," Yohsuke nodded as Prompto groaned and pulled at his hair.

"I'm _so sorry_ I didn't know how to ask Cidney out?" He shot back in defense.

"You could have just invited her for coffee," Yohsuke pointed out and Prompto flipped him off. The sculptor grinned and adjusted the sign in front of a smaller work of his, knowing that his words had hit Prompto just in the right way.

"I don't think she even likes coffee. She's been _so_ into all that event planning and stage building and lighting that we only connected over thinking about that _one_ stage for that stage play in third year!" Prompto huffed, rubbing his face so that he didn't have to face the teasing for his blush.

Cidney Aurum had been his crush ever since the second semester of his studies. Her trademark were her short blond curls, over-knee boots and the the crop top she liked to wear over her bikini top. Many guys - and girls - had been fawning over her, not just Prompto. She had been a stage engineering trainee at her grandfather's company and usually worked together with students from Prompto's university to help with their stage sets. Somebody had pointed her to Prompto when she had been looking for someone to design a poster for an all-female, young and upcoming rock band she liked and he had been more than willing to help. He had even helped her come up with some effects for the band's live show set, which had been a lot of fun.

He and Cidney had just clicked and worked tremendously well together, and he still missed her after she had moved to Lestallum three years ago. She wanted to further her knowledge about lightning technology and Lestallum was the best place to be for that. The climate there was also better for her grandfather, who was old and grumpy, but who would do everything for his granddaughter. Prompto had been quite obviously been intimidated by him, so that was another reason why he never asked Cidney out.

"Still no reason why you didn't ask her out," Bellis deadpanned, giving him a flat look with her hands on her hips.

"...You guys are seriously conspiring against me," Prompto whined.

"See it as an intervention," Yohsuke grinned and slung his long arm around the blond's shoulders. "We want you to stop sabotaging yourself. We want you to be happy!"

Pouting, Prompto replied, "I don't see _you_ guys having boyfriends or girlfriends. Why do you feel the need to push me towards one then?! And especially one that could be a potential stalker?"

"Because you thought he was hot. He only invited you for coffee _and_ left when you told him that you didn't have time. Sounds like a good enough guy to me," Yohsuke hummed before he let go of Prompto's shoulders, just to ruffle his hair again.

"Stop that!" Prompto whined as he swatted at the taller man's hand and ducked away from his touch.

"I understand why you're careful though. A broken heart is something that is worse for you the older you get, so you're afraid of getting yours broken. But you're an artist, you know what 'no risk, no fun' means!" Yohsuke laughed. "We just don't want you to die a virgin."

"It's not a bad thing being a virgin, you know?!" Prompto squeaked, turning bright red despite his words of protest. He really didn't think that it was bad, he just had never gotten around to find someone he trusted enough to expose himself to. If it hadn't been for a few drunk making out sessions during previous after parties he would probably never been kissed either. If it weren't for evidence in the form of selfies on his phone, Prompto would have never even known about it, either. Or with whom he had made out.

Thankfully, no one had ever tried to hit him up afterwards, because he sure as hell hadn't been interested in half of those people. Except for that one lady with the silver hair, who had pushed his face into her chest while he had tried to take that selfie. She had been at least five years older than him, but _seriously_ hot and Prompto had been quite impressed with himself that he had managed to score with her, although the only thing that he vaguely remembered feeling for her was something like the love for a big sister. Or what he thought the love for a sister felt like, since he had never had any siblings.

Apart from that one occasion, the number of photos of Prompto with another guy's lips on his neck was about twice as high as that of him with another girl. In retrospect, Prompto had always felt more comfortable about guys. Usually, he was reduced to a stuttering, blushing mess around the type of women he liked and it had taken him _months_ until he felt brave enough to talk freely to Cidney.

Which, for all it was worth, was the best indicator for the fact that he wasn't ready for any kind of romantic involvement yet. So, he had focused on his art and had become so lost in it, that he didn't even have time anymore to _think_ about falling in love. Just imagining that someone might fight him attractive or _might_ have a crush on him sounded pretty much like a joke to him. He didn't think that anyone in all their seriousness could ever hit on him sober and in broad daylight.

Yet, when Prompto came back the following day, the beautiful stranger - Noct Gar, if that was even his real name - was back, staring at _Vanilla Moon_ again. Prompto didn't know what could be so fascinating about the picture of a sugar dusted vanilla croissant (baked by Bellis) on a dark blue plate, but obviously Mr. Gar liked it a lot.

This time, Prompto sneaked out before the man could see him. He shook his head to free his mind from all the thoughts that were coming at him a mile a minute just trying to figure out why Mr. Gar was there again, same place, same time as the day before. He wasn't wearing the same clothes as the day before, but a low cut tank top that showed off his collar bones. Prompto would be lying if he said that he hadn't been staring at those a little longer than what was socially acceptable. Before he left and took off, he managed to snap another picture. Just for reference, of course-

On day three, Mr. Gar bought _Vanilla Moon_.

He paid the whole price without even _trying_ to haggle, which impressed Prompto even more because the price had been set so high that Prompto had just assumed that no one might be interested. However, it seemed like his new status of art provider for the royal court came with a few more benefits.

It also meant that Prompto could live without worries for a few more months. For the next twentyfour hours he was in such high spirits that he seriously considered to take the guy up on his invitation on the following day.

However, when the following day came and Prompto arrived at the gallery at the same time as usual, Mr. Gar wasn't there.

At first, Prompto was disappointed, but logically thinking, Mr. Gar had gotten all that he wanted, right? He must have been staring at his pictures for so long to choose which one he wanted in the end, and that had been _Vanilla Moon_. He didn't need to come back to look at _Moonrise_ or _Moon Above the Citadel_ or all the other moon-themed pictures Prompto had chosen for this exhibition anymore. Of course Prompto was a little disappointed, disheartened even. He was angry at himself for dismissing his first chance to talk to someone new so easily and the good news from the previous day wasn't good enough to keep his spirits up anymore. Prompto felt down because he had wasted another chance in his life to find romance. Or, at the very least, a new friend.

On his way home, Prompto passed by giant TV screens at a large and important intersection. The news show that was on showed the birthday party for Lady Lunafreya, organized by the Prince of Lucis who had gone all out for his childhood friend by showing her around the nicest places of Insomnia. Both looked absolutely stunning, the lady on TV said, speculating on whether or not the two royals were a couple or not.

Most people these days kept forgetting that Lady Lunafreya was the descendant of the great Oracle of the old times and indeed a princess on top of being probably the most popular idol Eos had ever seen. She was beauty, she was grace and after her first album and her first self-written song ten years ago, everybody knew just how talented she really was. If anybody was worthy in the eye of the people for the Prince of Lucis that everyone had seen grow up on TV and on countless pictures in tabloids, it was Tenebrae's sweetheart.

Seeing the two beautiful young and famous people smile so happily at each other, Prompto couldn't help but think how it wasn't meant to be if Mr. Gar gave up on him after just three days and he stopped for a few moments to admire the white dress Lady Lunafreya wore, all flowing lines, an artwork in itself. It sure looked like a wedding dress and it wasn't the first time that Prompto wondered if the prince and her were a couple. The Prince in his flawless dark black suit would certainly make a dashing groom.

It would be fitting, too, if they were a couple. Lady Lunafreya's ancestors used to be Oracles while the line of Lucis had always been the protectors of Eos and even though that stuff was so old only legends were left, the people still liked to remember those times of great mysteries. It all ended over two millennia ago, when the legendary crystal had chosen Ardyn Lucis Caelum as the King of Light, who had conquered the Starscourge disease and ascended to the planes of the gods. The only thing left of these legends were the remnants of the crystal, with no more magic left and on display in the history museum, next to Insomnia's biggest park in the North.

Everyday, thousands of school kids were carted into the museum to learn about the history and the legend of the crystal. Most of them bored out of their mind as they had to listen to the dusty old legends, gods and Solheim for what must have been the hundredth times in their young lives already.

Prompto had never been quite interested in history, since he was a rather uptodate person, more into living the present day than some ancient fear of getting smashed by the gods for one reason or the other. Thus he had never paid as much attention as he probably should have.

He had, however, been paying attention to Lady Lunafreya's career, much like everyone else in Insomnia.

Always a person of public interest, the Tenebraen princess had first started out with religious songs a good thirteen years ago at the young age of 14. After she had added more and more modern cover songs to her repertoire, she released the first song that she had written herself at the age of 16 which had become an instantaneous hit. Now she was the star of Eos' popular ongoing TV drama “Game of the Gods”, where she played her ancestor, the great Oracle of ancient times. If Prompto had had more time, he would follow the series more closely, but alas, he was too holed up in his work to spend a lot of hours in front of the TV. In fact, he didn't watch all that much TV altogether, he rather listened to the radio in the background than have the TV running.

When he focused on the screen again, Prompto saw that the broadcast had gone back to the news of something else happening in the rest of Eos. He shook his head and kicked off to ride his bike home.  Since he now had enough funds for a little treat for himself, he planned on checking the prices for a trip to Tenebrae. Even if it was just for a weekend, he wanted to go and finally see the place himself, filling his memory cards with pictures of places he had only been dreaming about before.

Mood lifted with the prospect of a nice getaway, Prompto started humming again, hitting the pedals until he reached the apartment complex where he lived. He took his bike upstairs with him and placed it next to the entrance of his flat before he unlocked the door and stepped inside. He toed off his shoes, closed the door and locked it before walking to the living area. On the coffee table, pens were still cluttered around from some sketches he did the night before, but at least he had remembered to stack the actual sketches so that everything was more or less tidy. Prompto put his messenger bag down next to the cushion that he usually sat on and went to the kitchen for a bottle of water.

He sat down with a happy sigh, eagerly getting his laptop out to power it up while he connected the cable with the outlet and then started a Moogle search for trips to Tenebrae.

After the twentieth itinerary for a couple getaway to the 'magical land of the Oracle', Prompto had almost given up. Only then did he finally find a website that offered mix-and-match bookings for flights and hotel. One of those had a large dinner buffet included in the price for the hotel, so it was really a no-brainer for Prompto to book that one before he could think too much about it again. He checked the available dates and booked a three-day, two-night stay the following month, on his birthday, and grinned to himself now that he could fulfill one of his dreams. Quickly, he took a picture of the booking confirmation, censored out his name and details, slapped a filter on it and posted it to his Kwehtter account with the words "Tenebrae, here I come!"

Being satisfied with the prospect of finally having something like a vacation all for himself, he felt himself motivated for some more work on his recent projects. It meant he should go through some photographs he took, touch them up and get them printed on canvas. Which reminded him that his last batch of pictures should have been printed by now so he decided to call his printing contact, Quercus Acutissima. The middle-aged man had his print shop a few blocks down and Prompto had been lucky enough to rent out a room from him as an atelier at his workshop behind the actual shop.

Quercus confirmed that his order was all ready and printed, waiting for him to work on, so Prompto thanked and informed him that he would be around with another batch in around two hours.

After hanging up, he thumbed through the pictures on his phone, hoping to find something to work with. He stopped at a selfie he had taken at the gallery of his artwork on Monday, just before he had run into Noct Gar. He frowned at it because he didn't quite remember taking it. Also, he hadn't deemed it interesting, except for the fact that Mr. Gar was visible above his shoulder, intently looking at one of his pictures.

Frowning, Prompto zoomed in on the picture, trying to determine what to do with it. It wasn't good in any way, but that was the advantage of the art style he had chosen. He didn't need the pictures to be good, he could just enhance the worst picture ever taken with some acrylic colors painted over it. And well, who knew where this would lead?

Marking said picture and that of a few cats he encountered yesterday on the streets to be sent to his Laptop, Prompto waited until both devices had exchanged the necessary data before he opened up his art program and edited both images, cropping the first until his face was out of it. Mr. Gar's face was shadowed by his baseball cap anyway, so Prompto planned on obscuring his face all the way afterwards anyway.

The cats ended up as little colored dots on the grey background. They would probably end up completely under the paint Prompto would put on the canvas afterwards and everything would look just very abstract. The blond liked the idea.

He sent both files onto a memory stick and moved to the second room that doubled as a storage room for both his art supplies and clothes and other things he was unable to part with. Prompto put on his work clothes - black Aladdin pants and a long dark red tank top, both covered in specks of paint, making the original prints on them unreadable - and chose two little cans of colors that he was sure he hadn't left at the atelier before. He already had a few shades of yellow and red there, but not this particular rich yellow that looked just like the dandelions he used to make crowns of as a child, nor that shade of blood red that Prompto had dubbed 'skin of Ifrit'. He planned to create a line with all the Six and Ifrit was just the easiest to start with. Next in line was Shiva, because it wasn't good to keep lovers apart for long.

Prompto vowed to work on these two today as he put his laptop to sleep. Grabbing his phone and trusty old iPod, Prompto threw everything else he needed into a duffel bag, which was also covered in specks of paint already. Then he got on his way to meet the trusty printer who had become a friend over the years. As he arrived, Quercus was already waiting for him in front of the workshop.

"Prompto! Nice to see you. Come on in, I've got your order placed in your atelier. I really like what you did with Ifrit and Shiva. Oh, and congratulations on selling something to the royal court! I saw it on TV today," the man said as he ushered Prompto inside.

"Already? That was quick, I only sold it, like, last week?" Prompto grinned, wondering why he hadn't seen that much during the broadcast. Well, he must have been distracted by Lady Lunafreya's gorgeous dress.

"Yeah, apparently the prince gave it to Lady Lunafreya as a present. Congratulations!" Quercus cheered, just to catch Prompto's suddenly less enthused face. "What's wrong? You're not happy about that?"

Blinking, Prompto looked up from where he had been staring at a spot on the floor. "I... I don't... know? I mean, I was really happy when this Scientia guy came and bought _Tenebraen Delight_ for the court. I guess I'm also happy that it ended up with Lady Lunafreya, but... I don't know."

"You'd have wanted it to stay with the prince?" Quercus asked, snorting softly. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll be able to sell another artwork to the court. Maybe you just have to made something big about Insomnia rather than the land Lady Luna comes from."

"You make it sound like I'm dealing with teenagers here," Prompto groaned. "This is the royal court, they aren't supposed to be this childish."

"They are human beings after all, and all human beings are childish every now and then. Come on, don't worry too much about it, you've got paid for it, right?" Quercus smiled and reached up to ruffle Prompto's hair. "You should worry more about your next artwork."

"Speaking of which, I've got two more pictures for you to print. Both of them in 40 inch by 40 inch squares," Prompto said and rummaged through his bag to find the memory stick.

"Canvas again?" Quercus ask and Prompto nodded.

"Mhm, you can use cheaper stuff than what you used for Ifrit and Shiva though."

"Yeah, but those turned out really nice. I'll keep that stuff around for the other four of the Six," the print shop owner replied and pushed the door to Prompto's atelier open.

There, in the middle of the room leaning against makeshift easels from coat racks, were two large 50 to 70 inches canvases, one red and black, the other white and blue. They already had a very nice contrast like that, but Prompto had plans.

"They're perfect, thank you!" he cheered, already feeling his veins burst with energy that he needed to channel into something creative. He dropped his bag on the floor at the entrance, put his cardigan on top of it before he stepped closer and gingerly touched the canvas to get a feeling for how the paint would react to it. "Leave the bill on my bag."

"Sure. I'll work on these now," Quercus grinned and waved with the memory stick, knowing that Prompto wasn't all that talkative when he got into the mood. He left the artist to his artwork and went back to his shop to finish his other printing jobs.

Prompto fumbled with the cable of his headphones, made sure the in-ear devices were secured and then chose a song he wanted to hear from his playlist. He had a few that were always good for starting a powerful image, Jamiroquai for example. Today though, he found that 'Right Here, Right Now" from Fatboy Slim fit his mood better, so he put the music as loud as he dared. He pushed both canvases right next to each other so that he could paint without boundaries on both canvases. Ifrit and Shiva were lovers after all, they deserved to have their colors bleed into each other and be sold as a set.

As Prompto kept painting, he suddenly remembered that it had just been Lady Lunafreya's birthday the day before, so he turned Shiva's features into those of the idol and then he had to moogle search Prince Noctis on his phone so that he could turn Ifrit's features into his. For some reason though, the prince didn't really strike him as the fiery type. If anything, he'd peg him as an earth or air type, but then again, Lady Lunafreya was definitely more an air type than Prince Noctis. Air and Earth would made a good pair as well, but that wasn't what he was painting right now, so Prompto changed Ifrit's features slightly so that they looked more like that of Ardyn. In particular, he made it so that he now looked like the actor who played Ardyn in "Game of the Gods".

It fit much better and Prompto felt quite accomplished with his quick thinking as he stepped back to admire his work. A good present for the princess.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What do you think? In this AU, Ardyn has become the King of Light and has been long dead for roughly 2000 years, so he has basically become a Jesus-like figure. If I do a Christmas story for this AU (this week), then it's gonna be a nativity story. Not sure if I dare though. xD
> 
> Next update will be on Christmas! Are you excited?


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto keeps working and then decides that stalling for time makes no sense anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for continuing reading this! In this one, Prompto is still unsure about this ~~beautiful~~ stranger, but eventually decides that he really shouldn't wait anymore.
> 
> Adding to the cute picture of Prompto with glasses from last week, Layann posted more doodles to this story. [Have some Noct/is as well!](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/168800017891/some-doodles-for-makikoigami-fan)

As he put the finishing touches to Ifrit and Shiva on the canvases, Quercus returned.

"Hey, Prompto. I got your memory stick and the bill here," he said loudly enough for Prompto to hear him over the music.

Pulling one of his headphones out, Prompto turned towards him. "Thanks man! I hope you put these ones also on the bill?"

"Yep. Since you got the money now, I put everything from last month on there, too. If it's too much for now, tell me, I'll get you covered," Quercus reassured him, stepping forward to take a look at Prompto's next masterpieces. "I thought these were two pictures?"

"They _are_ , they will be, just for now I'm painting these two next to each other," Prompto explained as he cleaned his hands and lower arms with paint remover. He knew that there were colorful splotches all over his arms and body but there wasn't anything he could do about it anyway. "Can't move them yet, they have to dry first."

"...This is bigger than _Mount Ravatogh_ , isn't it? Bigger than _Tenebraen Delight_ , too," Quercus commented, leaning in to inspect the line where light blue and red and orange flames bled into each other right over the edge from both canvasses.

"In total? Yeah. But smaller for each individually. Gotta sell them together though, they don't deserve to be separated," Prompto explained, wrinkling his nose as the skin on his hands felt dried out like the desert area around Hammerhead, just in front of Insomnia. He should probably infuse them directly with water, he thought as he started looking for the hand lotion in his bag.

"...You know I didn't really think you were that much of a fan, but these could count as fanart for Game of Gods, you know? Just that... this is Ifrit and he looks like Ardyn and this... This is Shiva, yet she looks like the Oracle..." Quercus observed, making Prompto chuckle.

"That obvious, huh? Yeah, I wanted to make this a present for Lady Lunafreya and Prince Noctis, but, well, I couldn't turn Ifrit into the prince. Didn't feel right."

"Huh... Well, now that you say it, I think he'd make a much better Bahamut. Did you hear that Bahamut was jealous that Shiva fell in love with Ifrit rather than him? They almost refused Ardyn to pass over to the afterlife because his soul was apparently 'corrupted' by the Starscourge he took into his body as he healed people from it," Quercus told him matter-of-factly, making Prompto stare at him with wide eyes.

"I didn't know you were that much into the old legends," he replied, making a triumphant sound as he fished the hand lotion out of his bag.

"Well, I _do_ watch Game of the Gods and that's what they're basing the story on. All scientifically researched and stuff," Quercus laughed while Prompto rubbed the lotion into his poor abused skin. 

"Sounds a little too soap-opera-y for me," Prompto chuckled and then sighed. "Well, I guess I should try to sell it to TV Eos then, right?"

"Could be a plan. I don't know if they can pay as much as the royal court, but with all the ads they have during the show, I'm sure they earn enough to afford these. Just not sure if it's their art style, they're pretty conservative after all," the older man hummed.

"Well, I think they're good enough. I'll leave them here to dry," Prompto yawned.

"Yeah, you should better go home. It's almost midnight," Quercus replied and nodded to the door.

"What?! When did _that_ happen?" the blond gasped, eyes wide in surprise.

"While we worked like the workaholics we are," the printer grinned and slapped Prompto's back. "Come on, I'll get you a beer and something to eat. In fact, there's a chicken salad with your name on it I got from the convenience store down the road."

"Thanks man, you're a lifesaver! But I think I need to decline the beer. Had too much last weekend," Prompto replied with a sheepish smile as he followed Quercus back to the shop where he found both a bottle of water and a large salad waiting for him.

"Seriously, you're the best," Prompto smiled and gave the man a quick one-armed hug.

"I know how you get sometimes. You need someone who makes sure you're eating, you know? And since I ain't got anybody either, guess I can take the role for now," Quercus grinned as he tossed Prompto a beer can. At the blond's chastising look the older man just shrugged. "Hey, you worked hard. One can won't kill ya, will it?"

"...I guess not," Prompto replied, then sighed as he opened his beer, feeling a little guilty because he was drinking again. "But you're right. I earned it. Did I tell you I booked a trip to Tenebrae on my birthday? There was this guy at Bellis' collaborative exhibition who bought _Vanilla Moon_ for the big price I slapped on it after selling the other to the royal court."

"Next month? That's awesome! Congratulations, you always wanted to go, right? And what is it that I hear? You sold _two_ artworks in two weeks?"

"Ehehehe, yeah, guess I did," Prompto giggled as he sipped on his beer, feeling pretty smug and satisfied with himself.

"Now, if we ever needed a reason to celebrate then that's one! Cheers!" Quercus beamed and held his can out for Prompto to bump his against. The blond grinned and used so much force that some of the beer sloshed out of the can. They both laughed and ate and Prompto told his friend all about his upcoming trip, how he had to work around the fact that Tenebrae was obviously a couple getaway and thus, you only got results for double rooms and for couples. Prompto told Quercus about the food that his offer had been advertised with, told him how he was looking forward to all the seasonal specialties and promised that he would take pictures of anything and everything, _and_ that he would bring back some souvenirs.

After they finished eating, Prompto hurried home, fell onto the couch - which doubled as his bed most days anyway - and fell asleep almost on the spot. He barely managed to pull a blanket over his body so that he wouldn't catch a cold, and then was dead to the world. 

He was out cold until his phone ringing startled him awake. With a groan he hid his face under the pillow, pretending not to hear the beginning of 'Losing my religion' in endless loop.

After what felt like an eternity, it finally stopped, and Prompto sighed in relief before he turned around to sleep some more on his other side. However, it seemed as if he was out of luck. Not even one minute later, his phone started ringing again and this time he growled. Why was anybody calling him this early anyway? His alarm hadn't even gone off, so why?

Prompto managed to ignore his phone for the second time, however, when it rang a third time, he decided that whoever it was, whatever they wanted from him, it was important.

Seeing that it was from Yohsuke, he rolled his eyes, but accepted the call anyway. If the sculptor called this early, it must be important. "Yes," Prompto said, making sure that Yohsuke could hear how annoyed he was.

"He's back," the other said in a loud whisper.

"...who?" Prompto asked, rubbing his forehead to get rid of the growing headache. "And why the hell are you whispering."

"...Did I just wake you up? What's wrong, Mr. Early Riser sleeping in until noon?" Yohsuke teased and Prompto could almost _see_ the grin on his face. "Did you hook up with someone? Guess not, because Mr. Perfect is back here at the gallery."

"...the fuck are you talking about. It's not past... Wait a second, it _is_ past noon! My alarm didn't go off, what the-"

Suddenly, Prompto was wide awake and he sat up with a start while he slowly understood what Yohsuke was trying to tell him.

"... You called me to tell me that this stalker guy is back at the gallery?" Prompto asked, suddenly feeling very tired again. He flopped back down on the couch and ran a hand over his face.

"Yep. Thought you'd wanted to know," Yohsuke replied, barely able to conceal his snickering.

"I didn't, but thanks for calling me," Prompto grunted. "I'm hanging up now, goodbye."

Even though he could still hear Yohsuke saying something, Prompto ended the call without much second thought. Instead, his mind was occupied with images of Mr. Gar, his perfect face blurry and half-concealed by his baseball hat, how he kept staring at his drawings in utter and complete fascination.

Angrily, he turned to the side and curled up, trying to push any and all thought of Mr. Gar out of his mind. But sleep eluded him, all he could think of were the whys and hows of the man's presence. If he liked his artwork so much that he came every day, what had happened the day before when he hadn't been there?

No matter what Prompto tried, he couldn't stop thinking about that. Any attempt to some more shut-eye was rendered completely futile, so he got up begrudgingly and shed his dirty clothes in favor of a long, hot shower. While the blond had hoped that would help rid his mind of Mr. Gar, it did nothing like that. Instead, Prompto had come up with five different scenarios, each one more ridiculous than the next. 

The moment he started to imagine that Mr. Gar was an alien who had escaped some kind of prison and came to the gallery because Prompto's art somehow reminded him of home, Prompto decided that he really needed to get out. Take some photos and clear his mind.

He found his camera and made sure that it was charged, that he still had enough space on his memory card to take enough pictures for the next few hours and then got dressed to ride his bike around Insomnia. Maybe he could snap a picture from the Southern Park of the Citadel in the thick summer air and turn it into some dystopian fantasy where the large tower stood in the middle of a mysterious desert city.

Stepping down into his pedals, Prompto soon found himself in front of the gallery though. Before he could get angry at himself for being so weak and giving into his curiosity, he ended up in a headlock by no one else than Yohsuke.

"I knew you'd come!" The sculptor gushed, grinning from ear to ear as he steered Prompto into the gallery, through the entrance with Bellis' works, through the large room in the middle with Yohsuke's sculpture to the room towards the left where Prompto's artwork was hung. He had exchanged the painting that had been sold by another from the same line and it seemed as if Mr. Gar was infatuated just as much with this one than he had been with the one before. It reminded Prompto that it was always good to have spares in the first place, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Look at him. Do you know what kind of look this is? This is the look of a man in love," Yohsuke whispered rather loudly and Prompto glared at him before he turned his gaze back to Mr. Gar and regarded him with a frown. _Why_ was he there again? What was the reason? No one ever found his pictures that captivating and least of all Prompto.

No matter how proud he was of his own work, the blond didn't ever think that he was anything special. He just knew he could do something in a way that people liked to make money from it, even if there were hundreds - if not thousands - of people who were very well able to do the exact same thing. Everyone could be an artist in Prompto's opinion, and he didn't think that he was a particularly good one, either, no matter if he had just sold one of his artworks to the Royal Court.

But Yohsuke was right, there was something in Mr. Gar's look that made Prompto get his camera out and captivate what his friend had called "the look of a man in love". He took a sequence of pictures just to see Mr. Gar blink slowly and turn his gaze towards the sound of the camera shutter and stare at him with wide eyes.

Lowering the camera slowly, Prompto stared back, feeling his cheeks heat up with embarrassment. He could still feel the excitement of capturing this man's beauty on film running through his veins, making his heart skip a beat before it started thrumming faster. While he made money of abstract paintings and pictures, Prompto's real passion lay in photographing people. He wanted to capture moments in life that were not staged in any way. He had a huge folder on his laptop (and two different external hard disk drives) where he kept all the candid shots he did while walking around in Insomnia of people during their everyday life.

No one had seen these pictures yet and Prompto wasn't planning on showing them to anyone. Sometimes, he would use a part of one of those pictures as a base for his next artwork, but he never used anyone's face for his artworks. Not even Shiva and Ifrit had been based on real people other than what he had painted over pictures of the stone statues in the North-Western Park.

But there was something in Noct Gar's starlight blue-grey eyes that pulled Prompto right in as they were looking at him through the shutter. Those mysterious and unfathomably deep eyes made Prompto remember how much he _liked_ photographing people. Still, when Mr. Gar looked at him with what looked like surprise and _fear_ , Prompto blinked in bafflement, wondering what would be so wrong about having his picture taken. He knew about people who thought that their soul was taken away when they were photographed, but that wasn't what Prompto thought was Mr. Gar's problem. No, if Prompto went by how the other man tried to hide his face in the most casual way, he could only guess that the black-haired man was someone famous who didn't want to be recognized.

This raised the real question: _Who_ was this Mr. Gar? Why did he fear having his photo taken?

There was a moment of awkward silence between them, Prompto didn't even hear Yohsuke's voice next to his ear anymore as Mr. Gar stared back at him like a chocobo in headlights. Much like he would try to communicate with a scared animal, Prompto tried to tell Mr. Gar with his eyes that he wasn't planning on using these pictures for anything but his private viewing pleasure. He tried to convey with just a look that those pictures would never be published in any kind of way and nodded slowly, trying to let the other know in a stupid telepathic attempt that he could never publish pictures that he hadn't touched up. He meant no harm and whoever the person he photographed was, Prompto would keep their identity a secret.

Mr. Gar's gaze flickered back to MRCRY's artworks and seemed to come to the same conclusion. He sighed in relief and when he looked up again, he smiled the smallest smile Prompto had ever seen, taking his breath away. He would have gasped out loud, but Yohsuke next to him did it for him, making Prompto blush furiously in second-hand embarrassment. As the sculptor even _meowed_ loudly, Prompto couldn't help it anymore and hit Yohsuke on the back of his head.

"Let's go, you're embarrassing me," he growled and turned on his heel to leave. He was sure that Mr. Gar made an attempt to reach out to him, but Prompto didn't even look back to acknowledge that much. His face and neck and probably his whole body must have turned as red as a tomato when he walked out of the gallery and back to his bike.

"Come _on_! Talk to him!" Yohsuke whined, hot on his heels. As Prompto stopped in front of his old bike, he almost bumped into his back, then stepped back and took a deep breath. Shifting his weight to one leg, he smirked and added with a purr as the proverbial last straw then, "If you won't talk to him, then I guess I have to! Don't blame _me_ if you give up your chance."

Prompto just stared at Yohsuke with the blankest expression that he could muster. "You wouldn't dare."

"Who knows? I could say I'm you?" Yohsuke teased, and Prompto was sure that the other was only doing it because he knew that it would rile Prompto up enough to do something about it.

"He knows who I am," Prompto scoffed with dry amusement.

"Well then, I could say... we _both_ are you?" Yohsuke returned, just to grin a little wider at the death glare that Prompto sent him.

"I'll be going now," Prompto said as he mounted his bike, venting all of his irritation on Yohsuke, who had probably deserved it anyway. Just _why_ was he so irritated all of a sudden? Mr. Gar was just a customer, not somebody Prompto was personally interested it, no matter how just looking at his eyes just now had made his heart beat faster. Yohsuke could do whatever he want, Prompto didn't have any right holding him back.

Prompto couldn't even hear Yohsuke's reply, because he was already on his way and out of earshot.

Physically exerting himself felt good. It didn't stop him from thinking about his suddenly possessive behavior towards Mr. Gar, but it stopped him from worrying too much about possible interpretations. Prompto also knew that Yohsuke had been more than successful in riling him up. Now, he didn't have any other choice but to go on the offensive with Mr. Gar, to take that next step and to find out what all this _tension_ between the two of them was about, but not today.

Today, he would go around and take pictures of greens and cute little dogs and cats and maybe even one or the other bug, no matter if just thinking about those had him shudder in disgust. Bugs were just... _disgusting_. Full stop. No matter how fascinating they also were, how _big_ they could get even in the big city and cicadas were just the worst. Loud and big, looking like flying cockroaches, Prompto didn't like them one bit, no matter how romanticized they were in comics and cartoons.

Then, however, he saw one sitting on the tree trunk right next to the entrance of the Southern Park and it looked so... _good_ that he leaned in and took a close-up shot. He shook with disgust the whole time and wanted to run away screaming. Maybe he could turn this picture into something out of a horror movie of this one in his post-processing phase.

Pushing his bike further through the park, Prompto let the sounds of the city and the park calm his heart. Although he wasn't really a people person, he didn't really mind being among them. Quite the contrary, with enough space for himself, he had fun watching them, observing their little quirks, see them live through their happy moments, some sad moments and just liked to play with all the cute dogs and other pets walking through the park. 

Prompto spent the rest of the day at the park, photographing anything and everything that caught his interest. When the sun started to set, he had enough pictures for the rest of the year to work on. He definitely needed to go out and take more pictures as soon as it started to snow because snow made everything different and prettier after all.

As nighttime fell, Prompto decided that taking the subway home was a little saver for him and his bike, no matter how bright Insomnia was thanks to all the artificial light. It wasn't late, just barely 8 o'clock. Not that it mattered in terms of cooling down in any way. Summers in Insomnia were usually hot and wet and if Prompto had had more money, he would find a spot on Eos where he could sit out these hot summer months in more balanced climate. Also, subways were air-conditioned and he could cool down a little on the ride home.

Back at his apartment, he copied todays pictures to his laptop and checked which pictures he wanted to keep and which ones he didn't really need after all. He had sorted out about half of all pictures before he came to those he had taken of Noct Gar.

There, staring back at him from the screen of his old trusty laptop, Mr. Gar's blue-grey eyes were even more beautiful than they had been from afar and through the viewfinder of his camera. Prompto hesitated with his index finger hovering maybe a bit too long over the delete button, but he couldn't do it. He was unable to delete even one of the pictures he had taken of the man, captivated by his beauty.

_Unbelievable_.

Suddenly he remembered that peak of possessiveness he felt when Yohsuke suggested that he would start flirting with Mr. Gar instead and he closed all pictures he had taken of the man, stored them in a separate folder before he put that folder into his 'people' folder, just to stop thinking about them.

Which, of course, didn't work at all.

Cursing to himself, Prompto helped himself to a beer can from his fridge and downed half of it in hopes that it would fog his brain enough so that he didn't have to think any further about the other man and the absolutely illogical jealousy he had felt when Yohsuke had threatened to take the step that Prompto was too shy to take.

With a sudden spark of determination, he vowed to stop being a coward and get out of his shell and talk to Mr. Gar. Get invited to a coffee and have this out of his system once and for all. Then he could tell Yohsuke to shut it and leave him alone.

With his newfound thought of resolution, Prompto curled up on his couch once more that day and fell asleep under a thin blanket. This time he did remember to set his alarm though.

Prompto started the following day with his usual routine. He got up at sunrise, put on his running gear and watched the world wake up as he jogged around his corner of the city, listening to the same soundtrack on his iPod that he had listened to for the past few years. But at least he knew all the songs by heart and the rhythm was exactly the one he needed to run.

After about 10km, Prompto returned home, drank a lot of water to rehydrate and took a long shower to calm his abused muscles. After a banana and some oatmeal for breakfast, he styled his hair with a little more care than usual, spiking up a tuft of hair in a way that made him look cooler.

As he looked at himself in the mirror though, Prompto decided that he looked anything _but_ cool, and why the hell I'd he even want to look cool? It wasn't like he wanted to impress anybody and least of all some weird Mr. Gar. Annoyed at himself and embarrassed, Prompto quickly patted his hair down again, hoping that it wasn't too late yet.

Luckily, his hair stayed down for the moment he looked back into the mirror, so he sighed in relief and decided that he was done with all of his preparation for the day. He found everything he needed, put his laptop and drawing tablet into his messenger bag before he took off for the gallery.

There, Prompto set up his workplace so that he could see the room with his artworks better. In this corner of Insomnia it wasn't unusual that young artists would sit in the middle of their exhibitions and work on new things. Even Prompto felt more inspired in the atmosphere of galleries, which was why he had set up his workplace as mobile as possible. No matter if his laptop was getting old, he still loved it to bits because they had been through so much together. All of his artwork up to this point had started out on this trusty thing and he prayed that he didn't have to worry about it breaking down anytime soon, he would be absolutely devastated, no matter how many backup copies he had of everything.

As he patted his laptop lovingly and promised it that he would stay ever at its side, he heard footsteps approaching and he looked up to the side, just to see that Mr. Gar had arrived. He was wearing another cap, but the same puffy vest over a black t-shirt, staring at the pictures as usual. As if he had sensed Prompto's eyes on him, he turned his head sideways, just to take a step back startled as he realize that they were both looking at each other with wide, surprised eyes.

"Mercury... Um..." The black-haired man started, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as he looked from side to side and Prompto would swear he could make out a blush forming on his cheeks from where he sat on the floor. Mr. Gar opened his mouth again to say more, but it seemed like the words were stuck in his throat.

The blond smiled as openly as he could, forcing his shyness to step down this one time and sent his laptop to sleep with a combination of keys before he set it down. Prompto pushed himself to his feet before he walked over to the other and extended his hand in a friendly and open greeting. Noct Gar's expression relaxed into a smile and he took Prompto's outstretched smile and shook it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise that we will soon get to the fun part! :D Next week will be a "date"!
> 
> HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a date!
> 
> Prompto and Noct finally talk! There's something that Noct wants to ask, but they keep getting interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year!
> 
> Thank you very much for sticking with this story until now! As I promised last time, they are on a "date". Well, they have coffee and lunch and talk. A bit. :D
> 
> Once again, there are drawings by [Layann](http://layann.tumblr.com/):  
> ⭐️ [SURPRISE on-stage!Noct doing a pose at the end of her 2017 Promptis post](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/169151796541/my-2017-promptis-edition)  
> ⭐️ [Some dorks doing a selfie](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/169183441761/happy-new-year-2017-was-a-restart-for-me) (from later chapters)

"Hi... I'm sorry about the last time-" Prompto started as he shook the stranger's hand, smile still a little too stiff and tight, he understood that much himself, but he was nervous and he really couldn't help it.

"It's okay... I understand you have lots of other appointments and couldn't make it last time," Noct Gar replied softly and full of understanding, making Prompto turn his smile into something more pained as he dropped his hand to the side again. 

"Yeah, that's what I'm sorry about. I don't usually accept invitations from strangers," Prompto replied truthfully, because what was the point of lying at this point? He fumbled with the ends of the leather bands around his right wrist.

"Oh," Mr. Gar replied, looking both baffled and a little crestfallen. It kind of supported Prompto's theory that he was someone of public interest in disguise, who hoped that Prompto had recognized him anyway, but the blond still couldn't put him anywhere in his mental catalogue of celebrities. "Ah, well. I guess there are good reasons for that. Um..."

"Haha, yeah, you wouldn't believe it," Prompto lied and realized that he had to come up with at least one plausible story to dish up to Mr. Gar now. "But, well. Um. You've been here almost every day... And you bought _Vanilla Moon_..."

"Oh! Yeah. I really liked that! The colors were beautiful and just... It made me really hungry," the other laughed, still rubbing the back of the neck sheepishly.

"Really?" Prompto asked surprised, his smile slowly turning into something more real as he snickered at the confession. "Well, then I did a good job with that one."

"Yeah! And... um. All the others, too. I was about to... I wanted to buy _Moon over Insomnia_ , too," Mr. Gar admitted and Prompto was sure that the man blushed an even darker shade of red.

"Eh, _really_?" Prompto gasped, his eyes widening comically as his mouth fell open.

"Yeah... What, is it so hard to believe?" Mr. Gar replied amusedly, smirking just a little and godsdammit, who had allowed him to look that attractive like that?

"Um... no? But, um, I don't know what to say, except for... Thank you for being a fan and your continued support!" Prompto all but yelled as he bowed down in front of Mr. Gar, perfect right angle at the hip.

"Whoa! No need to be so formal! I just... I really like your artwork and, um," Mr. Gar replied, carefully putting a tentative hand on Prompto's shoulder to make him straighten up again.

"Y-yeah, sorry. I just... wanted to say thanks," Prompto chuckled and by then, his smile was bright and honest. Even if he had thought that he didn't care who paid for his artworks so that he could fulfill some of his dreams, Prompto was genuinely happy that it was this human being. "So, about what you said last time..."

"The coffee? Yeah, I saw one just around the corner-"

"The big one, um, Arbucks? That's no good. All the hipsters and rich kids buy their coffee there and they are super annoying, thinking they're real artists with their expensive equipment that their parents bought them, shouting about taking pictures of street art and interesting people... Let me take you to Luigi's place. They also have great pasta," Prompto said, then realized that Mr. Gar _was_ probably one of these rich kids and had only ever tried Arbucks in his whole life. So, he blushed and said, "Isn't it about lunchtime already? Let's go! Just let me pack my things first."

"Um, sure," Mr. Gar replied and Prompto shot him a quick grin before he dove down and put his stuff back into his bag, shouldered it and then announced: "Okay. Let's go!"

"You lead the way," Prompto's fan said. The blond grinned and held the door for him as they exited the gallery.

Five minutes later they were seated at a table across the street in a cheap little Accordian restaurant, complete with red and white checkered tablecloths, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese on the table. Prompto was gripping tightly onto the menu and tried to hide his face because he had no idea how to talk to a stranger. Well, even if Mr. Gar was technically no stranger anymore, Prompto still felt pretty awkward and much like a stranger around him. Where had all his bravado from before gone?

"So..." he heard Mr. Gar say and Prompto dared to look over the top of his menu just to see the other frown at the menu. "You... said the pasta was good?"

"Um, yeah. What do you usually like?" Prompto asked, praying that Mr. Gar didn't have a too expensive taste.

"Something... with meat? No veg... Not so many vegetables," the other corrected himself quickly.

Chuckling Prompto scanned the menu again. "Not so keen on your greens, huh?"

"No..." the other said sheepishly and lifted the menu a little higher to hide his suddenly very pink cheeks.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me. I can recommend the meatball pasta and the carbonara, but what's best is the Bolognese Meat Sauce. It's like meatball sauce, but _better_ ," Prompto explained, grinning sympathetically over the menu.

"Huh," Mr. Gar said, raising his eyebrows curiously. "Guess I'm taking that then. Since you recommended it. And, er, a... cappuccino."

"..." Prompto peered up over the menu, trying to find out why that last bit sounded so... _off_. But then again, maybe they didn't have cappuccinos at big chains, but only sugar sweet lattes with funny names?

Taking one final look at the menu, Prompto decided to take his own advice and waved for the waiter.

"What can I get you?" He asked in that heavy accent, which only seemed to work in these kinds of Accordian restaurants, no matter if it was real or not.

"Ah, we'll take the spaghetti with Bolognese Meat Sauce and two cappuccinos, please," Prompto ordered for the both of them, just because they were taking the same things anyway.

"With water?" The waiter asked while he was taking notes if their order.

"Well, of course. Thank you," Prompto smiled and handed his menu back.

" _Prego_ ," was the reply as the waiter took the menu from Mr. Gar as well and went back to the bar to prepare their drinks. Something about the word was off, but since Prompto didn't speak one bit Accordian, he couldn't place a finger on it.

Noct Gar followed the person's every step closely, his brows furrowed in thought. Prompto could _see_ the question marks on his face, but he waited for him to voice his thoughts before he answered anything that _might_ be on his mind.

"...Do you come here often?" He asked eventually as he returned his gaze to Prompto.

"Um. When I'm in the area? Every once in a while," Prompto admitted, frowning a little because he tried to count the times he actually had been over at Luigi's. They certainly ordered out a few times during the last days before the vernissage, but that had been over a week ago already, too. "You know, that just sounded like a bad pick-up line," he commented as he realized the pattern of Mr. Gar's sentence, grinning in what he hoped was a playful way and not too dorky.

To his surprise, Mr. Gar blushed again and looked to the side, out of the window, before his eyes widened suddenly, obviously realizing the same thing before something else crossed his mind and he turned his head the other way. "Well, I... Listen, There's something that I want to ask you..."

" _Due cappuccini_ ," the waiter interrupted with his heavy, false accent, placing little tablets with a cup each and a glass of water in front of them. Well, he more dropped the tablets in front of them so that Prompto feared that the cappuccino would slosh more onto the saucer than stay in the cup, but the milk foam was strong enough to keep it inside.

Prompto blinked and then looked up at the person again, taking in his sour face. "Um, thank you..."

" _Prego_ ," the waiter huffed before he threw a dirty look at Mr. Gar and took his leave again. Prompto shook his head lightly before he turned to his company, raising an eyebrow at how he seemed to have sunken even more into his clothes.

"Sorry, I don't know why he's so..."

"Unfriendly? Yeah, what's that about?" Mr. Gar asked, sounding just a little irritated and surprised, but mostly worried.

"Who knows what happened? Well, er, you were saying?" Prompto began again, his heart suddenly beating much faster than before as he remembered where all of this seemed to be going. Did Mr. Gar want to pick him up? Did he really want to go on a _date_?

"Well, um, I know this is a stupid request - probably! - but, well, I know you also do posters and I've been a fan of your work ever since I saw what you did for the Albireo reel in _Fishing Enthusiasts_ and... I think I read somewhere that you do commissions..."

"Wait, wait, wait," Prompto interrupted and stared at him with wide eyes. He couldn't believe what he had just heard and it showed in the way he asked incredulously, "That was... _five years ago_?" 

Prompto remembered the campaign. He had done a _lot_ of editing and work to get the angles right, the lighting and complete composition of the poster for the ad - a whole page in a magazine for people who liked to fish. He had taken a picture of a friend with a stick who had posed as someone with a fishing rod. Then he had used some of his own photos, taken with his bad little digicam back when before he had bought his first real DSLR camera, had scaled them up so that they would look good printed in various sizes, had slapped filters on it, had edited his friend in there, had completely changed his friend's clothes to make him look like a 'fishing enthusiast'. After that, he had edited the Howling Gust fishing rod into his hands, had made sure that you didn't see the stick in his hands anymore, had thrown a big fish on it that he had seen on the market on the way to university once and had taken a picture of so that it looked like it had jumped out of the water, had drawn a line where the Albireo reel had been supposed to connect the fish to the rod in a flashy way and then had added the headline and the slogan on the ad as well.

_Nothing_ of that advertisement had been real anymore in the end. But it looked flashy and _good_ and it had been the first time that Prompto had _ever_ been paid for his work, so he had tried to save all of it. After that he got a few more jobs like that, follow-ups to that one particular campaign for other reels, other fishing rods, other locations. Prompto had been good, and even though he had never been near the coast, he had managed to paint the island Angelgard beyond Galdin Quay from scratch and it was perfect as well.

"Y-yeah, um, that's... I know? I've been following your creative work ever since then," Mr. Gar said, his cheeks dusted pink again, and Prompto identified his look as one of being starstruck.

"Mr. Gar-" He started, trying to find the right words to voice his astonishment. So, it wasn't date, maybe, but well, it sure still sounded like he was asking him out.

"Noct. Please... Please call me Noct," Mr. Gar interrupted, his nose wrinkled in mild disgust.

"Noct," Prompto said, frowning a little at the feeling of the other's first name on his tongue. It felt a little alien, probably because he had been calling the man by his surname for so long now. Using his first name now felt strangely... _intimate_. Despite the fact that the possibility of a date was still in the room.

"Um... listen, I did those things during an internship... I didn't... I didn't know anything about anything at all," Prompto explained, feeling his cheeks heat up. He knew that if he followed that line of argumentation he would slowly get to the point where would admit that he didn't think what he did was special in any kind of way. And even Prompto knew that this wasn't a good thing to tell a fan. "Since... since then I learned a lot of things and-"

"I know!” Mr. Ga- Noct interrupted. “Whatever you did since then was amazing! Nothing like those first ads. Seeing you become this creative and experimentative was... phenomenal! I really like all your works, but I... Well. Um. This..." He explained with shining eyes, making a gesture with his hands before he seemed to shrink, obviously trying to find the right words for his request.

"Spaghetti with Bolognese Meat Sauce, per favore," the waiter interrupted again and Prompto started to suspect that he was either trying to listen in or that he was attempting to sabotage whatever Mr. Gar wanted to say.

"Ah, thank you very much," Prompto replied anyway and smiled his best fake smile at the waiter, getting a quick, humorless smile in return, that didn't quite reach the man's eyes.

" _Buon apetito_ ," the waiter replied dryly and Prompto kept the smile until the waiter had turned around before he frowned at his back.

"Well, let's eat first," Prompto smiled and reached for the parmesan cheese to sprinkle a generous amount of it onto his pasta, right under the scrutinization of his company. He tried to not let it get to him and just ate his pasta as he always did.

"Um, okay," Noct replied and started twirling his fork slowly in the mix of pasta and sauce, just like Prompto was doing it. He looked a little forlorn and frustrated that he had been interrupted yet again and the blond felt a pand of guilt flare up that he had also effectively cut off any attempt from the other man to voice what he wanted to say, but he was hungry. And the food also helped his nervousness. It wasn't like he could invite the man for a spontaneous 10km run, which was what he usually did when he was nervous.

Prompto watched the dark-haired man take his first bite, chew carefully and then swallow with raised eyebrows.

"Good?" the blond asked between two bites himself. 

The other just nodded, his grey-blue eyes sparkling before he took the next bite.

"Surprised?" Prompto added, unable to hold himself back from grinning.

Mr. Gar chewed a little more, then nodded and smiled almost shy back at Prompto. Feeling his own cheeks flush, the blond grinned back. "Told you it's good."

Nodding again, Noct continued eating in silence, obviously and totally engrossed with his food. He even added some parmesan cheese to try with a bite at first, putting even more on the rest of his pasta after he had swallowed that. 

Prompto grinned, having had put enough parmesan on his plate from the start, so he only stopped to sip from his glass of water every now and then. He soon finished his plate, leaning back in his seat with a happy sigh.

"Sorry... I fear the cappuccino is cold now," he apologized, pulling the little plate with the cups towards the middle of the table.

"Hm... shouldn't the milk froth prevent that?" Noct asked, taking the last bite.

"Huh, I guess? Dunno, never knew much about coffee theory," Prompto hummed, swirling the spoon in the cappuccino before he took a small sip, surprised that Mr. Gar knew so much about coffee making. "Ah, nevermind, it's still hot. And good."

Watching him curiously, Noct swallowed his last bite and then dabbed his mouth with the paper napkin, folding it neatly before he dropped it onto the plate. "You take it without sugar?"

"Huh? Oh. Yeah. Not much a fan of sugary things myself," Prompto lied, because who didn't liked sweets? It was just that he didn't want to get any sweets as anonymous presents, so he always said that he didn't like them. Besides, once he started, he wasn't able to stop and then even a 10km run wouldn't help it.

"Yet half of your artwork is about pastries," Noct teased as he lifted his own cup to his lips, making Prompto blush and stare at him wide-eyed. Of course it was easy to call him out on his lie, with the evidence so clearly in two galleries. He was about to explain himself, but the reaction from the  black-haired man as the coffee was obviously too bitter for him had Prompto bite the inside of his cheek in an attempt to hold back a chuckle. Noct set the cup back down and emptied one of the packages onto the milk froth, using his spoon to dissolve it in the mix. Having pity with him, Prompto pushed his sugar pack over on him without a word and after a grateful little smile, the other dumped that one into his coffee just as well.

"That's... they're always good looking?" Prompto tried, but the other just smirked at him over the rim of his cup as he lifted it again. "Well, yeah. You got me there. I just don't want everyone to send me sweets as presents. I wouldn't eat them, you know?" he finally admitted.

"Mhm... but you could always give them someone else, right?" Mr. Gar argued and set the cup down. "I'm sure there are enough young kids out there who would love to have some sweets."

"Yeah... I guess? But then whoever thought it would be nice to give _me_ sweets could just give them to those kids directly, right?" Prompto replied defeated, thinking back to the time when he was growing up all on his own. His caretaker had done everything so that he had a good life, which in the end had probably been a little too much.

He shook his head before his features could harden too much and he sighed.

"Sorry, you were saying something... _before_ ," Prompto said, ashamed that Mr. Gar had gotten interrupted so many times.

"Um, yeah. I wanted to ask you to... I would like to commission something from you," Noct Gar said, straightening his face.

"I have a band and I want you to paint the cover for our first album. It's gonna come out next month and-" The man suddenly stopped talking and frowned, looking in deep thought for a moment as if he had forgotten something. As he seemed to remember it, it turned out to be a tentative, "Please?"

Prompto stared back at the man for a moment. Mostly because he couldn't process that someone like Noct Gar - who was obviously a rich kid - had a band? Bands were for poor guys and girls who had a dream, were desperate for money and had learned to play three chords on a guitar. Then he was also amused that he needed to think of saying 'please' at the end of a request.

"Um... What kind of music do you play?" The blond asked. No matter how weird this request was, even if he were to be doing it, he needed more information. "I mean I could do it, but... Well. I think it would help to know... How you sound? And when do you need it?"

"I know it's pretty short notice now," Noct admitted guiltily, scratching the back of his neck. "By Monday? Latest Tuesday..."

"No way!" Prompto gasped. Even if he wanted to, it would be pretty hard, if not impossible.

"Yeah, um, that's why I came here last Monday... Listen. I know it's on pretty short notice. Why don't you come to our gig today? Wait," Noct said and rummaged through the pockets of his puffy vest to come up with a crumbled flyer. "We're in last, and it's already sold out, so, er. Call me when you get there? I'll get you in through the back door."

The black-haired man fumbled his phone out of the other pocket and clicked through a few things before it dawned on Prompto that he was supposed to do the same, so that they could exchange phone numbers. Idly he thought that this was a very complex ploy to just get his phone number, but the flyer looked interesting enough, despite the fact that someone designed who had obviously no idea about typesetting or anything. He was sure that he had even heard of at least two of the bands before, may it be because Bellis had talked about them or Yohsuke. Still, getting into a gig just because he knew one of the band's alleged singers was... more than just a little fishy.

"What's your band's name?" Prompto asked, taking in the way the flyer was made. He already had a few ideas how to make it better the next time, although he had never made flyers for a gig place with various bands before.

"Um... _Monsters of the Deep_. Here," Noct said and pointed to the name in the middle. It was pretty big in comparison to those he had never heard of, yet Prompto had never heard of them either. The biggest name was of a band called _Wyld Stallyns_ and Prompto thought that rang a bell.

"Here. This is my number, and the numbers of my band mates, too. I'll tell them who you are and if I don't answer the phone, they'll let you in, okay?" Noct said after he had scribbled down numbers on the flyer for Bellis' exhibition. Apparently, Mr. Gar wasn't asking him to put in his number directly, but just needed to look at his phone to look for the numbers of the others.

"Um... thanks. Don't you need that one though?" Prompto asked as he put his phone back into his pocket while eyeing his hard work from less than three weeks ago. 

"No, I've got... a few more at home," Noct admitted sheepishly and Prompto was sure that he could see the tips of his ears turning red. "I really liked those, too."

"I see," Prompto smiled, looking down at the scrap of paper in his hands. "I'll see if I can make it. Thanks for the offer, erm..."

"Please just come tonight and watch our show," Noct asked, reaching out to take Prompto's hand, but he hesitated before their skin touched, probably because he didn't want to cross any lines. He his and and smiled sheepishly and then looked at his phone, just to frown. "Sorry... I gotta go. I hope to see you tonight!"

"Yeah," Prompto replied less enthusiastically, just to frown as Mr. Gar got his wallet - the latest Assassin's Creed merchandise, all leather - out of his back pocket and counted a few bills before he held them out to Prompto. 

"Could you pay? I've been staying a little too long already and I really have to go now..."

"Um... sure? But I think this is... a little too much?"

"Well, you can keep the rest if you want to," Noct Gar replied, pushing the bills into Prompto's hands before he took off. "See you later!"

"Bye," Prompto replied, waving after the man before he counted the money in his hands. It was almost three times as much as they needed to pay. Even if Prompto tipped the not-so-polite waiter generously, he would still have too much money left to feel comfortable keeping.

He heaved a big sigh as he put the money into his pocket and decided that Mr. Noct Gar was either stupid or the greatest schemer he had ever come across. He had given him his phone number, but didn't ask for Prompto's in return. Instead, he just assumed that he _would_ call eventually and then, to make sure that he would, he left too much money with him and now he _had_ to come to his concert because there was no way that Prompto could keep the money.

Well, he could, of course. But it wouldn't feel _right_. And as a righteous citizen of the crown city, Prompto was compelled to returning the money that he didn't own. He tipped the waiter appropriately - since he had had much better service at Luigi's before - and then went back to the gallery, deep in thought.

Should he accept Noct Gar's invitation? He was certainly curious about his band's music, but would it be worth it? Or would he just waste his time? But if he didn't go then he wouldn't know what music they made and couldn't create the album cover. Or - well - he could create an image that they could use as a cover, but he wouldn't feel good about it.

He groaned as he returned to his room and stared at _Moon Knight_ which had replaced _Vanilla Moon_. Those two images were painted with the same colors, yet this one was for Bellis' love of an old comic series and basically fanart. If he could do these kinds of things, then going to a young band's concert would be fine, right? Especially since he had basically gotten a VIP-pass or something along those lines.

"Hey, Mercury!" Yohsuke greeted him, coming in through the room from the other side. "What's up, did you reconsider your choice here?"

"Hm... No. Just came here to think," Prompto replied, sounding very far away before he turned his head to look at the sculptor. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"Just checking in. You're early... Wait, you're not," Yohsuke noted after he realized that it was well past noon, "my fault."

"Dude, you should _really_ learn how to read the clock," Prompto chuckled, feeling some tension leave his body as his shoulders slackened.

"Yeah, I know," Yohsuke grinned. "But really, good to see you coming out of your mind a little. What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just," Prompto started and then sighed, slumping forward.

"It's about your stalker, isn't it?" Yohsuke asked, his voice gentle and barely audible.

"Mhm, I talked to him. He invited me to his concert," Prompto explained matter-of-factly before he huffed a sigh. "Tonight. What am I supposed to do?" He whined, looking at Yohsuke again so that the other could make that decision for him.

"Well, is there anything holding you back? Anything you have planned tonight? Anything but work," Yohsuke said quickly as Prompto opened his mouth, closing it to form a thin line.

"...No," the blond replied after a moment of thought, chuckling again. He really had been about to use work as an excuse to stay in, even if he might just have clicked through his photos for hours.

"I knew it, you homebody," Yohsuke grinned and kicked him lightly. "I'm telling you, just have some fun once in a while. It's not gonna kill you."

"Well, you say that now, but do you know where this is?" Prompto asked with a doubtful voice and handed Yohsuke the flyer.

Scanning over it, Yohsuke frowned at first, then looked surprised and snorted in amusement. "Yeah, I know where this is. Well, I'm _pretty sure_ it's not gonna kill you going there, even though I wouldn't talk to anyone dressed all in black there."

"Yeah, don't trust anyone with a full body tattoo," Prompto replied with a wide grin. Then he took another deep breath and squared his shoulders. "Okay. I'm gonna go. I'll text you when I get home."

"What am I, your mom?" Yohsuke snorted and kicked him again. "Do what you want. Just... have some fun okay?"

"Yeah," Prompto replied, managing an honest, thankful smile. "Thanks. I'll try to."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Accordian = Italian. I debated a lot whether to use Italian or turn it into FFXV speak. XD In the end I went with the FFXV speak. XD Also, please note that some of the Italian that I wrote here is completely wrong and that I am aware of it. Mr. Waiter is just terribly pissed off that someone looking like the prince is at his restaurant and doesn't acknowledge him at all. Or he's terribly protective of the prince and is terribly pissed off that someone DARES to look like him.
> 
> Arbacks = [Arba](http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Arba) \- Starbucks
> 
> So, the plot THICKENS! Or something. What do you think? :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto goes to see Monsters of the Deep live on stage. He finds out quite a few things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, I'm back again! This time, with a thicker plot.
> 
> Just kidding. ;D It DID thicken, but just a little. It will keep simmering for a little longer. But in this chapter Prompto meets a lot of new people, which is a very scary thing, and he gets really, really scared. However, there is also a lot of dorky flirting. ;D
> 
> Art by Layann: [“Prince” Noctis, Yohsuke and Noct on Stage.](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/169458036686/a-hanful-of-scribbles-for-makikoigamis-promptis)  
> [The Flyer](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/168690392206/so-another-piece-for-makikoigamis-promptis) that Noctis gave Prompto to the gig they're playing at

Prompto stared at the building in front of him and then down at the flyer in his hands. He even checked his position with the GPS on his phone - twice, on two different apps! - but there was absolutely no doubt. He was in the right place.

Shifting nervously from one foot to the other, he spotted the name 'Glacier Grotto Club' written on an old illuminated sign with cracked paint. He was _definitely_ in the right place, but what now? He could hear muffled music coming from inside and wrinkled his nose. It wasn't necessarily what he liked, but well. He guessed that it wasn't _Monsters of the Deep_ 's turn yet or... He didn't know what they sounded like, but he sincerely _hoped_ that Mr. Gar's band sounded better than whatever it was that he was hearing now. He took out his phone and thumbed over the four new numbers in his contacts. He had them all saved under the same name, because Mr. Gar - Noct - had neglected to give him names to the numbers scribbled on the flyer.

Earlier, at home, when he had styled his hair, spiked it up again, he had briefly wondered what those other people Noct had in his band were like. He had tried to get in the mood with some old rock songs that took him back to his high school times. R.O.M., Haven, Blah, Daemon Boys, Rage Against The Six, Gray and Moon Sea, lots of upbeat rock music to get his blood pumping. 

Once he had been satisfied with his hair, he had chosen a pair of tight animal print pants, a sleeveless dark red shirt with a white cross pattern and a long dark jeans vest with lots of patches and pockets, something to put in his phone and have his hands free later on. He had secured his wallet with a chain connected to the loops of his pants and then had wrapped a bandana around his biceps to emphasize that he worked out. It had been quite the challenge to tie the ends of the cloth, but at least he looked as good as possible. When Prompto had left his house, he had felt more self-confident than he ever had, but all of that had vanished on his way here, replaced by a deep-rooted fear for his life and/or virginity.

Everything was dark, there were strip-clubs and massage parlors left and right and Prompto couldn't help but think that someone with as much money as Noct Gar seemed to have must feel terribly out of place here. More than even Prompto felt and he had spent more time in these corners than he would have liked.

Staring down at his phone once again, Prompto let his thumb hover over the four new numbers in his phone, then closed his eyes and just pressed down on one, before choosing to call it.

Holding his phone to his ear, he _hated_ every second that ticked by, every beeping sound as he held the line and waited for someone to pick up. 

It had taken him a week to gather the courage to let Mr. Gar take him out for a coffee - which turned into a full-blown lunch date! - and now he was confronted with the possibility that maybe he had to talk to three _other_ people? What were they like? Mr. Gar seemed to be nice enough, but who knew about the other members? By the time someone finally picked up the phone, Prompto's nerves had almost gotten the better of him and he had been about to put down the phone and just leave. Luckily, he heard the telltale click on the other end of the line and kept the phone pressed to his ear.

The only thing he heard at first was the music from the club, just louder and a little off.

"Hello?" replied a female voice, startling Prompto into speechlessness. "Hello-ho~?" She repeated.

"Yeah, um, _hi_ , it's me, Pro-, I mean, Mercury. Noct G... gave me this number earlier today and said to call one of you so I could listen to your music?" Prompto sputtered, trying his best to give out all the important information despite the fact that he could hardly move his tongue to get out any words.

"Oh! You're the artist!"  the female voice said, sounding a lot nicer now that she knew who was calling. "Hold on, I'll get Gladdy-Daddy to get you. Where are you right now?"

_Gladdy-Daddy?_

"Um, I'm... I'm at the front? I mean, I know Noct said to come in from the backdoor, but I have no idea where that is and-" Prompto babbled and he wanted to disappear, because how embarrassing could you get? This had all been a horrible idea. 

"Yeah, yeah. Gladdy-Daddy will be with you in a moment. Don't move," the woman on the other end of the line ordered and hung up.

Prompto was left with another beeping sound as the call had ended and while he put his phone back into his pocket, he started looking around, waiting for this 'Gladdy-Daddy' to come and get him. What would he look like? Like an old man, a literal daddy? Or the more modern version of the word, used when people fetishized older, caring men into, well, something like sex gods?

Prompto sincerely hoped it was neither, but when someone touched his shoulder out of the blue, he all but jumped out of his skin with a shriek. He turned around and blanched.

"'You Merc'ry?" A tall man with wild hair, a scar over his left eye and no shirt asked, towering over him even as Prompto was too distracted by the large tattoo of a bird of prey that covered up most of his exposed and very muscular upper body. It was elaborate and looked extremely well done, so it must have been expensive. Prompto had once asked Yohsuke what he had paid for his newest tattoo at the time and when the sculptor had told him, Prompto had instantly decided that getting this weird barcode tattoo on his wrist covered up wasn't worth the money. He didn't even know what he would want instead, so hiding it with the leather bands around his wrist was still the best option for him at the moment.

"Uh, I'm sorry, what?" He asked dumbfounded, when the big guy kept looking down at him, all intimidating tattoo and scar in his face. Prompto had to concentrate not to piss himself in fear. This man was a friend of Mr. Gar, so he couldn't be too bad, right? Also, he shouldn't judge a man by his looks, oh no.

"You must be Mercury. Crowe told me to get you," the man said and raised his arm to run a hand through his hair, showing off just how thick his arms were. Even if Prompto was proud of his own looks, he would _never_ be a match for this person.

"You're Glad...dy..." Prompto started, unable to get out the whole name that he had been given, hoping that the other would help him out.

"Gladio. Not whatever Crowe told you. Certainly not a 'daddy'." The man frowned at him, while Prompto sighed in relief. "What, is that your kink or what?"

"What?! What the fuck, no! Jeez!" Prompto cried and willed the blush on his face away, for once glad that this corner of Insomnia was so very dark. Sure, he had just thought about what all this _daddy_ business might imply and this Gladio person was certainly _very_ attractive, but that was beside the point. "No, I'm just here because Noct Gar told me to come and listen to his band, so- "

"You're the artist," Gladio cut him off with a grin and slapped the blond on the back. Prompto could _tell_ that he had been holding back and he _still_ almost doubled over. Damn, this guy was strong!

"Y-yeah?"

"I really like your stuff! It looks yummy. You plannin' on making something like that for the cover, too?" Gladio asked curiously as he slung one of his heavily inked arms around Prompto's shoulders and dragged him towards the place he had come from. Of course, Prompto tried to track where they passed by so that he would find the way out on his own again, a very easy self-defense method.

They went down a set of stairs that brought them to an underground labyrinth of corridors, past the entrance of an old restaurant, some air condition ventilator outlets, and then there was nothing but tiled walls. He could still hear the muffled bass and drums of whoever was playing right then, and he hoped that he wouldn't get lost on his way back after all. 

"I don't know yet. I... If I already knew what I wanted to make, I wouldn't be here to find inspiration, right?" Prompto explained, trying to straighten up under the heavy weight of the other's arm. "Your... Your tattoo looks nice... Why did you get it?" Prompto asked, trying to change the subject.

"Huh? Oh! Family tradition. My dad's got one too, and his dad before him as well. Lil' sister wants to get one of her own as well now that she's turned 18, but we kinda... gonna talk her out of it," Gladio explained without a second thought, then turned to look at the blond for a moment, looking rather pensive. "...you're good. I don't know a thing of you, yet you've managed to get half of my family history out me. Kudos."

"Uh, thanks?" Prompto replied with raised eyebrows, not sure what exactly he had done.

"You're welcome, kid," Gladio grinned as he steered Prompto around a corner that he hadn't really seen. Oh god, he would _so_ get lost on his way out.

"Here we are," Gladio suddenly pushed a door open that Prompto would have only seen if he had been looking for it. Once it was open though, the music turned louder and _worse_ , so much that Prompto wished for ear plugs. He pulled a face, yet, they were still not at their destination because Noct Gar was nowhere in sight.

Thus, Gladio kept pulling him along past people in various states of dishevelment, sweaty but happy looking, discussing things that they could have done better or worse. Even as Prompto wondered who all of these people were, the tattooed man kept pulling him along until they arrived at another door.

"Get dressed ladies, I'm coming in!" Gladio yelled, hand on the door handle before he turned to Prompto and winked.

Whatever the other guy thought it was, Prompto was _sure_ that it was not, and definitely not funny. _Any_ idea of finding this man's muscles or his tattoo or his self-confidence alluring in _any_ way died right on the spot. The blond rolled his eyes once the other man turned back around and hoped that no one else saw his reaction.

"Gladdy-o! Good to see you back. Did you bring the package with you?" The woman who had answered Prompto's call earlier - Crowe - asked. She was a little smaller than Prompto, her wild brown hair put up in a loose way that had it frame her face in a kind of halo. Her smile could only be described as mysterious, just to turn into a smirk when she looked up at Gladio, looking in no way intimidated by his sheer size. She wore dark blue jeans and a grey tank top, fingerless dark gloves and Prompto was sure that he saw a skull pattern in the lining of her top. He was also sure that she could take on Gladio _and win easily_ from the twinkle in her eyes.

"Package? Did he bring something to eat? I'm dying of hunger here!" Another voice came from inside the room, it was low and definitely male. Prompto peeked around Gladio's back and saw a bulky man in a green tank top with some logo on his chest sitting at a table with a bunch of open but empty food containers in front of him.

"You're not hungry, you're nervous," Crowe rolled her eyes before she smiled like a fox at the tall, muscled Gladio. "You deal with him. I'll show blondie around." She stepped around the mountain of a man and hooked her arm around Prompto's to pull him inside. The room reeked of cigarettes and alcohol and sweat, causing the blond to wrinkle his nose.

"Your name's Mercury, right? You know, we thought for the longest time it was Mr. Cry, we even had a bet going on," Crowe said with a smile that could be labeled as both cute and dangerous. "My name is Crowe. Nice to meet you, after Noct kept going on and on about you."

"Nice to meet you too... Who won the bet?" Prompto asked, because he could only remember that Noct Gar had been able to pronounce his name perfectly the first time they had met.

"Huh? Oh, about your name! Noct did. Of course, he's your biggest fan after all. Libertus and I were _so sure_ that it was Mr. Cry, but Noct insisted that it just didn't suit you. Guess he knew something we didn't, because seeing you now, you really don't look like a 'Mr. Cry'," Crowe explained with a smile that Prompto couldn't define as completely friendly. There was just something about her that screamed danger, but Prompto had no idea what exactly that was. He just knew that he was appropriately scared and it had nothing to do with his general fear of meeting new people.

"Thanks, I guess? Where is... _Noct_ ," he asked, still a little wary of his surroundings and he would have preferred to be just observing everything instead of being in the middle of all. Using the other's first name felt still weird, too.

"Oh, yeah, _sure_. Since he's the only one you know of us. You've heard Libertus, he's the hungry, nervous guy and then, we have Nyx. He's always busy doing something with his hands. It's either texting or writing songs or something else," Crowe smirked and earned herself a glare from the third member, a tall, scruffy looking man with what looked like dirt in his face at first, but when Prompto looked closer, those were actually tiny little tattoos.

"Hey, _hero_ ," Crowe said and kicked his boot where it rested on a chair, breaking his balance. He had been practicing chords on his electric guitar, nodding his head to his own beat, just to glare up at Crowe again. "Where's the prince?"

"Huh? Oh, Noct. He's... I dunno, _somewhere_. Getting in the zone or something. I don't care as long as he's here once it's our turn. Which should be soon," this Nyx guy replied, sounding completely uninterested. Prompto frowned at the nickname that they had given their last and obviously missing member, but decided not to think too much of it. There were many reasons why someone would be called 'prince', and being a rich kid was just one of those.

"Well, we better find him or we won't have a lead singer," Crowe huffed, pushing her hands in her hips.

"You know that I can sing just as well," Nyx glowered, and Prompto took a step back, still scared out of his mind.

Everything was getting too much. Too many new people at a time and no way to get out of this now. Besides, he would be totally lost out there in the labyrinth that Gladio had taken him through. Prompto just wanted to hide and disappear, but after coming this far, he had no choice but to keep going.

"True, but we wouldn't be here then. Face it, we'd be nowhere without _him_ ," Crowe hissed, baring her teeth at the other man.

"Well, we'd be _somewhere_. Not here, but _somewhere_ ," Nyx huffed, before he turned to look at Prompto. "You're Mercury?"

"Y-yes, sir!" the blond replied without hesitation and felt himself standing straighter, almost as if he was being scrutinized by a soldier.

"What the... Hey, relax. I'm not your drill sergeant or anything, just a guy who likes playing the guitar," Nyx said gently and tried to smile for Prompto, but it looked a little creepy. Prompto smiled back with what he hoped conveyed confidence, but he really just wanted to find a quiet corner and be by himself let this whole thing be over.

"Sorry, I'm just... nervous," Prompto admitted with a sheepish little smile and rubbed the back of his head. "I've... never met so many new people. All at once. On my own. Sober."

Nyx and Crowe stared at him, their eyebrows raised high onto their foreheads. "...For real? You're _shy_?"

"Y-yeah?" Prompto admitted, almost cowering before the two. "Please don't make fun of me, there's a reason why I'm not... Why I'm an artist and work on my own, you know?" He looked from Nyx to Crowe, feeling like his voice was entirely too small, like he was entirely too young to talk to them and he could already feel that he was shivering, cold sweat starting to gather on his forehead.

"Huh... Well, I guess that makes sense," Nyx said and sat up a little straighter. "You know what, sorry about all of this. We're all pretty nervous here, on edge and a little aggressive. I promise we're all nice when we go for a drink afterwards," he grinned and patted Prompto's shoulder. Surprisingly enough, the blond felt himself relaxing. Not much, but enough to get the shivering and the sweat back under control. For a moment he wondered why a stranger like Nyx could help him relax so easily, but he really didn't want to overthink this, since he was already nervous enough.

"'m back," a new person suddenly announced, closing the door to the dressing room behind him. He was dressed all in black, a collection of skull prints cascading down from the collar of his t-shirt. Loose black pants that went down just below his knees left a small strip of skin visible before calf-high boots covered the rest of his leg again. Prompto thought that his voice sounded familiar and when he looked up at the new guy's face that was framed by a long, wild fringe he confirmed that yes, this was indeed Noct Gar. It was fitting to wear all black, confirming once more that he was a very rich kid to wear a color that usually only royals or nobles could afford to wear. Then again, why would he wear something that pointed to his social status so blatantly? No one here liked rich kids, they'd rather spit on them than listen to their music, just like Prompto had thought it was weird. But then again, it didn't look _wrong_ and how often had bands played with their looks? Like those glam rock bands like Gray and Moon Sea who wore elaborate costumes leaning on ancient times clothes that _looked_ regal, but were just cosplay? Maybe that was Noct's way of telling everyone he was one of them who just wanted to make fun of the upper classes and royalty. It was definitely something that Prompto wanted to know more about some day.

The singer's blue-grey eyes lit up first in surprise and then with a happy smile as he realized who their visitor was.

"Mercury! You came, you really came!" Noct beamed brightly as he spotted the blond and walked the few steps over quickly, just to hesitate a moment later, his hand hovering over the blond's biceps.

Managing a small, but honest smile, Prompto lifted his arm and brushed against Noct's outstretched fingers to signal that he was okay with touch, just to rub his neck sheepishly. "Guess I did..."

"So you decided to make our cover?" Noct asked, looking excited like a little child just before its birthday as his hand ended on Prompto's upper arm, patting it gently, as if he was testing out just how much the blond could take.

"Hm, not yet. I just decided that I've got apparently enough free time to listen to some young and upcoming bands, young and upcoming artist that I am myself," Prompto grinned, patting Noct's shoulder himself, surprised to just feel only lean muscle. He completely missed the surprised glances that Crowe and Nyx exchanged at his suddenly relaxed and familiar behavior with their lead singer.

"Well, I guess then I just gotta let our music convince you," Noct smirked, shifting his weight from one leg to the other as he leaned back, his right hand resting on his hips as he held out his left with the palm up. It looked like such a practiced move and pose that Prompto couldn't help but chuckle.

"Guess you gotta do that," Prompto grinned, realizing only after Noct had turned around that all of his previous nervousness had dissipated and turned into barely contained excitement. There has just been something in the other's smirk must have made him relax and feel right at home, similar to when Nyx had touched him earlier. Maybe Noct had such an effect on him because the two of them had talked before and were closer in age than the other four seemed to be, who all looked a little older. Prompto was pretty sure that Crowe would rip off his head if he ever voiced his thoughts though.

"...What," Noct asked just as he was finishing to put on a long leather glove on his left hand.

"Oh, nothing," Nyx smirked, getting up from his chair with his guitar in hand. He slipped the guitar strap over his head. "You guys ready? We should get going," he announced, shooting Libertus and Crowe a look. They nodded and got their instruments, or, in Libertus' case, his drum sticks. Prompto followed them with his eyes, glancing over to Gladio, who was obviously not part of the band, but either their manager, or what Prompto decided was more plausible, their personal bouncer. The bulky man nodded towards him, silently signalling that he would be takin care of him while the others went on stage.

"Alright!" Noct yelled, startling Prompto into taking a step backwards. "Come here!"

The singer beckoned the other musicians over, Crowe having her own guitar on her back now. They formed a circle, arms interlocked over their shoulders. Prompto expected that Nyx said something again, because he somehow struck him as the band leader, but it was Noct who spoke up in the end.

"Guys, I know we've got that record deal coming up, but we've been playing gigs for over a year now and we've _earned_ it! Am I right?" he asked and the other three plus Gladio cheered loudly. Even Prompto felt compelled to cheer, but he bit his lip because he was still nothing much more but an intruder.

"So, today we say thank you to the fans. Let's go out on the stage and give it our best! Let's have fun! We've come so far and we will go even further, yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

Prompto looked at the scene with wide eyes, and closed his mouth, because yes, he _had_ been cheering as well. He bit his lip and tried to hold back as Noct continued his speech, but he was just _so good_ at firing up his band mates that it got his own blood pumping as well and he felt the need to jump on stage with them just as well.

_Amazing_.

If he didn't know it any better, Prompto would think that this Noct Gar and the one he had had lunch with earlier were two different people. This man right now wasn't timid, shy or acted like a rich kid, no, this man had a fire burning inside of him, a flame that was barely controlled by his physical body. He wasn't awkward in any way because he _knew_ what he was doing and he knew that he was good at it.

Despite himself, Prompto was looking forward to the actual performance of Monsters of the Deep now. He needed to feel the energy that Noct radiated coming full force at him from the center stage and he all but prayed that they weren't any worse than the band that was still playing right then.

Gladio led him to the backstage, following the other four as the band on stage finally finished their last song.

"Wyld Stallyns, Ladies and Gentlemen!" the announcer said over the loud cheers from the audience as he shook the band's hands. Behind them, some of the staff were already moving their instruments and replacing them with a new set of drums, which was obviously Libertus', because Prompto could see 'Monsters of the Deep' written on the big drum in the middle. The 'D' of 'Deep' looked like a scary fish-shrimp hybrid, and Prompto had to chuckle. He knew that he could come up with a dozen better logos, but well, that wasn't what he had been asked to do.

"Be excellent to each other!" the blond guy of the Wyld Stallyns shouted and the crowd cheered a little louder again. They were obviously loved by the audience, despite the fact that they were barely able to play their instruments. If it weren't for the two girls on the keyboard and drums respectively, Prompto was sure that everyone would have been running away, screaming. To think that their name had been the biggest one on the flyer...

"Yeah! Party on, dudes!" the black-haired guy added and the crowd cheered again before they waved and went off the stage on the other side. Prompto was glad for that, because he was sure that he wouldn't have been able to stand the smell of their sweat that was dripping off them with every step. Prompto sincerely hoped that Monsters of the Deep had a little more stamina.

The announcer cheered some more for the crowd then, got them ready for the next band and with one last nod to Gladio, Noct, Crowe, Libertus and Nyx were off. They went on stage in relative darkness, and Prompto was surprised that no one stumbled over any cables. He had to squint, but he heard Nyx and Crowe tune their instruments and he realized that the woman played bass instead of a simple guitar.

A standard combination: drums, bass, guitar and vocals. Prompto was sure that he would be listening to some kind of rock right in a few moments and he was not disappointed when Nyx started playing his guitar with a soft sounding melody which then turned into some hard rock anthem as Crowe and Libertus joined him. The lights went on and everybody seemed to be headbanging, as if they had expected this exact thing to happen. Noct's previously well-groomed hairdo was a mess after just a few moments, because he was the one headbanging the hardest, one foot propped up on the speaker box right in front of him. Still, when he lifted his head to start singing, the black tresses stood up perfectly in all directions, creating a halo around his head.

Prompto really had thought that there was nothing _special_ going on. Noct didn't have the best voice to be singing such a rock song, half of his notes were off and the only thing that warranted his presence on stage was his aura and his energy. It wasn't like anybody else said he had to be there, it was more like he _took_ that spot, no matter how good he was. But that was more than enough. His singing pulled Prompto in immediately, the lyrics touched something inside of him and as his mouth dropped open, his vision was suddenly filled with colors and he had to force himself to keep listening instead of rushing off. Everything in him just wanted to draw.

" _one day in this life my contradiction will be_ _  
_ _lost and found but try to keep my faith in mind_ _  
_ _am I still on your hand_ _  
_ _I know for sure it's not true_ _  
_ _don't show me up_ _  
_ _don't drag me on_ " (*)

Okay, so what if half of the notes were off? Nyx was there to back Noct up, added a few raps at the end of the verses, and his guitar sang where Noct couldn't reach the notes anymore. It didn't matter that there were still so many ways in which Noct could improve. What mattered was his passion, his energy and his charisma.

By the time the first song was finished, Prompto was already totally lost in the music, feeling the emotions of the story it had told and was bursting with energy himself, tapping his feet and trying to sing the lyrics as well, no matter if this was the first time he had ever heard these songs. The latter didn't work at all, but still, he was head was already exploding with ideas about what kind of art style he could use for the cover. Also, he had about three different logos in his head already and decided on a favorite, now he just had to put it on paper.

"Hello! We are Monsters of the Deep!" Noct yelled once the first song was finished. He was already drenched and his hair stuck to his forehead, but he obviously didn't mind one bit. Quite the contrary, he seemed to be glowing. This wasn't the quiet Mr. Gar who would spend hours staring at MRCRY's artworks, no, this was a more passionate artist than Prompto had ever been himself. "Thank you for having us tonight! Are you having fun?"

"Yeah!" the crowd yelled back and Noct grinned.

"Are you having fun?!" he asked again, this time a little louder and the crowd answered just a little louder themselves. Noct's grin grew and Prompto found himself smiling just as much, infected by his energy.

"Great! Do you like our songs?"

Another cheer and Prompto found himself snorting in amusement. He only knew one song so far and he was already hooked.

"Then we've got another one for you!" Noct laughed and Libertus went wild on the drums, more collective headbanging started and Noct started singing again. The third song began as the second one ended and Prompto started getting a feeling for the entirety of the music from Monsters of the Deep, not just a few songs and knew how to handle art for it. Most of it was handmade punk rock, bordering on hard rock with some elements from every other music genre Prompto liked and he realized that if he had ever had a band, he would want to make the kind of music that he was hearing right now. All of the lyrics told him a story that he instantly loved, even though he didn't always understand all of it and he was sure that Noct had forgotten them once or twice himself, too.

By the end of the third song _everyone_ was drenched in sweat in the small, hot club, and even Prompto had decided that he didn't care anymore and continued tapping his feet, dancing in his narrow spot behind the curtains. When Gladio's hand came down on his back, he was almost startled out of his skin, shrieking as the music hit another crescendo.

"Having fun, kid?" the tall man asked, grinning himself.

"Yeah," Prompto admitted with a bright grin, and could see how Gladio grinned a little wider at that.

"Before we play the last song for the night, there's one more thing that I want to ask of you," Noct said breathlessly as everyone on stage wiped off their sweat with towels and sipped on some water from little bottles with straws that seemed to have magically appeared everywhere. Noct looked left and right to his fellow band members and then cried, "Please continue supporting us by buying our album that comes out next month!"

The crowd cheered so loudly that Prompto winced, no matter how time seemed to come to a sudden halt. From this moment he knew that _he_ was going to play a major role in how successful this band was going to be. Never before had he felt like he could _change_ somebody's life or career with his art, but now he wanted to make Monsters of the Deep aim for the top, and he would do everything to help them go as far as they could.

As much as he loathed to admit it, he was glad that Noct Gar had pursued him so stubbornly. Prompto wanted to be part of this energy, because it made him feel more alive than he had ever felt in his whole life. And if he felt like this with just a handful of songs, he wanted to make more people feel like this, wanted his art to make people feel the energy and willpower of this one man and his band.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Album [OLDCODEX](https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/oldcodex/360666323) contains the songs that Mosters of the Deep are playing. There's a break after the first song 'Cresc.', then there's 'Awkward' and 'Ignite' and after that, anyone would be drenched in sweat. The last song would be #6 'mono frontier'. The missing two songs would be the new content when the album comes out. Click [here](http://www.jpopasia.com/oldcodex/album/39907/oldcodex/) for the lyrics of all songs 
> 
> (*) if you want all the lyrics for 'Cresc.', please look [here](http://www.jpopasia.com/oldcodex/lyrics/239921/oldcodex/cresc/%20) (with Romaji and Translation).
> 
> Next chapter will be a little different! Please keep looking forward to the next week!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did MRCRY agree to paint the cover for Monsters of the Deep? Find out in this chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! You might notice that a few things are different in this chapter! Not wanting to take away too much yet, you'll see. ;D
> 
> PS: I'm kind of sorry for the vague summary...

Heavy curtains screened the dark room from the already warm rays of sunshine which found a way through the small strip between them, wandering along the room all morning until they finally reached the sleeping form on the bed.Long limbs were sprawled all over the kingsize mattress, covered by a thin blanket where only a tuft of black hair was visible and a low snore could be heard. Soon, the snores were joined by another sound, namely the Assassin's Creed Viewpoint Synchronisation sound and the latter slowly increased in volume until the figure on the bed started to stir and groan. One hand patted around on the mattress until it found the buzzing phone. Blindly it pushed and slid all over the screen until it finally found the button to receive the call.

"...Yes?" a voice heavy with sleep and remnants of alcohol croaked into the phone as it was pressed to the still mostly sleeping man's ear.

"Um, _hi_ , Pr-, I mean, Mercury here," the person on the other end of the line greeted, sounding really nervous and fidgety. "I, err, I tried all the others' numbers, they all told me to call you, um, Noct? And, well, yours was the last number I tried..."

Only slowly, Noctis' brain caught up with his surroundings and he finally realized that his favorite artist was calling him and that he was still not awake enough to fully appreciate this special moment. He sat up so fast he became dizzy and he groaned, his legs folded under his body. He ran a hand through his hair so that he could tame some of the tousles, scratching the back of his scalp in an attempt to wake up faster. It didn't help much and there were black strands sticking up in all kinds of directions, especially those he didn't want to. Also, he was in no way more awake than he had been just a moment ago. 

"H-hey! Um, yeah... what... what time is it?" Noctis asked hoarsely, clearing his throat in an attempt to try to make his voice sound a little less like the three liters of beer that he had drunk last night after a very successful and fun gig. He scratched his naked stomach under one of  Lady Lunafreya's tour shirts - it was white and there was a subtle moon embroidered on it - still trying to wake up.

"Almost... Almost noon," Mercury replied hesitantly, followed by a sigh and had Noctis been more awake, he would have realized that he sounded rather tired. "...I woke you up, didn't I?" Mercury asked on the other end of the receiver, followed by a nervous chuckle.

Noctis bit his lip. He didn't want to come across as a slob, but then again, he wanted Mercury to know him as a _cool_ rock star. Mostly because Mercury was probably the coolest and awesomest artist Noctis had ever known and felt like he needed to step up his game with him.

"To be," he started, but was interrupted by the need to yawn and groaned at himself as he was done catching his breath. He didn't know for sure, but he _thought_ that he heard Mercury stifle a chuckle on the other end of the line. So, he gave up trying to be cool and just went with the truth. _Cool_ rock stars totally slept in after gigs and post-show parties after all. "Yeah, well, to be completely honest, I just woke up. What's up?"

"It's 12 o'clock," Mercury repeated, barely able to hold back his chuckle this time, which made Noctis smile into the phone despite himself.

"So what? You never went out for a gig, had an after party and slept until noon?" the prince grinned, knowing that they were joking around now.

"Well, I can't afford that much? I'm an early riser because pictures don't draw themselves and just... have you ever seen the sunrise? Prettiest pictures I've ever taken," Mercury replied dreamily, speaking with a grin in his own voice that had Noctis smile at him although they couldn't see each other.

"I'm sure of that... Sometimes the sunrise is the last thing I get to see before I fall asleep," Noctis hummed, playing with his hair, pulling on a strand here and there to straighten it and put his hair back in order. "But did you call me just to talk about the pros and cons of being an early bird?"

"Wha-" Mercury started, suddenly sounding flustered again. "No, um, I've worked on a few covers for... for that album of yours and I... I still have a few questions. Would it be alright for you to come out to my workshop? Like... right now? Or, well, whenever you're awake. I'll send you the address."

"Wait, wait, what. Right now?" Noctis was suddenly even more awake than he had been just a few moments ago.

"W-Well, you said you needed the cover by Monday, so I worked as fast as I could," Mercury replied, sounding like he stifled a yawn himself. "But if it's inconvenient, I guess we can also meet up tomorrow..."

"No!" Noctis said almost too quickly, moving to sit on the edge of the bed by swinging his legs over the edge. He wiggled his toes on the soft carpet and sighed. "No, I mean, I'll be there in... in an hour or so? I'll bring some breakfast too... It'll be faster. Are donuts and coffee okay?"

"Hm..." The other end of the line was quiet for a moment and Noctis bit his lip, fearing that maybe Mercury didn't like coffee... But wait, he took him to coffee for lunch just yesterday, so he _did_ like coffee! Without sugar, too, if he remembered correctly.

"Yeah, that's fine," Mercury replied eventually, sighing softly. "Call me when you're there? I'll let you in."

"If you... want something else than... than _donuts_ , just tell me, okay?" Noctis offered with a small frown. Maybe it was a problem with the sugar?

"Ah, no, no, no, donuts are fine. Sorry if I said something off, I didn't mean it," Mercury said quickly and laughed nervously. "Bring whatever you like, okay?"

"...Sure," Noctis replied, still feeling like he had said something completely wrong. "Well, I gotta get ready, I'll see you soon. Can't wait to see what you made."

"Haha, thanks... I hope you like it, it's... nothing special?" Mercury said, sounding rather small. 

Noctis blinked, wondering just why an established artist like MRCRY would feel insecure about his own work. How could he even afford to feel insecure? Wasn't it mandatory for him to be confident and forward so that people would buy his things? At least that was what Noctis knew he had to emanate on stage, when he wrote songs and showed them to Nyx and the others. For some reason, he thought that all artists had to be like that, no matter that he felt small and insecure himself every now and then. 

"I'm sure it will be great," he assured the artist with a fond smile, looking up at the wall next at the side of his bed facing the window, where _Tenebraen Delight_ hung in all its glory, ever since Noctis' 24th birthday. "I mean, your artwork is always great, I'm sure it will be perfect."

"Ahahaha, thank you. There are still some details that we need to talk about, I-I mean, details, like the track list, the names and whatever else you want to have there. I mean, an album needs a booklet and I've... well, worked on it... But I'm holding you up. I'll tell you everything once you'll get here," Mercury said quickly and took a deep breath. "See you later!"

Noctis' ear was still ringing from the cheer as the static of the connection rang into his ear and he smiled as he disconnected the line as well. For a moment, he stared at the screen of phone, which showed him an early work from MRCRY - the ad for the Albireo reel - before the screen blacked out. Every few months, he rotated that picture with all the other ads that Mercury had done for _Fishing Enthusiasts_ , but since they had been talking about it just the day before, Noctis had thought it was only appropriate to use that picture as his background.

He put his phone away and ran a hand over his face in another fruitless effort to wake up.

'That won't do,' he thought and groaned before he got up and padded over to the shower, dropping his white shirt and black pants on the way to the bathroom. He took off his underwear after a quick toilet break and then showered real quick to wash off all the sweat and grime from last night. The hot water, followed by a quick, cold stream finally woke him up quickly and he let out a loud yell to get the fatigue out of his system. Feeling refreshed, he stepped out of the shower and shook the water out of his hair as he reached for a towel and dried himself off, wrapping it around his waist afterwards as he walked back into his bedroom.

"Good morning, Noct," his adviser and manager greeted him, placing a plate with pancakes and a little bottle with a popular hangover cure on the prince's study desk.

"Morning Ignis. Is there anything I have to be at today? Because if I do, please cancel or postpone it, I have a very important appointment and we have to pick up breakfast for two on the way, can we do that?" Noctis urged, staring intently at Ignis as he picked up the little bottle, before he downed it in one go. He didn't care about whatever else he had to do, meeting up with MRCRY was the top of his priorities.

"Well, since I didn't think you'd be awake any time today, I put nothing in your schedule. I take it you are meeting with someone?" Ignis inquired with just the barest hint of wrinkling his nose as Noctis dropped the empty bottle into the bin. Looking up, he asked with no little amount of hope. "A fan, perhaps?"

Back turned to his adviser, Noctis rolled his eyes only because he knew that the other couldn't see it. He knew Ignis hoped that once Noctis had found his first real girlfriend, he would stop thinking about his band and his music and this person could just be it, even if they were a mere fan. As things were, Monsters of the Deep was the only thing that kept Noctis sane at the moment and he doubted that he would ever abandon them for a girl. Besides, Nyx was _married_ and he still put everything he had into their band and writing songs.

"Not just _someone_! I have an appointment with Mercury, he's working on the cover for our album!" Noctis replied with a sparkle in eyes that was completely not like him this shortly after waking up. He opened his closet and made sure that he was far enough in the walk-in closet before he lost the towel to put on fresh underwear - his favorite grey and black underwear with the red seams -  and rummaged through his clothes. He found a loose band print t-shirt from Rage Against The Six and dark jeans, getting his baseball cap with the Assassin's Creed logo and the puffy vest he had worn every time he went to visit the gallery in hopes that it would help people to recognize him without having to show his face. It seemed to have worked; that other lanky artist with the collection of tattoos on his arms had called Mercury over that one day when the blond hadn't been there.

"Oh," Ignis collected the wet towel, just to replace it with another dry one for the prince's hair. He sounded just a little bit disappointed and Noctis couldn't help but grin. They had been through this before, but once the prince had said that he would find love on his own _eventually_ , Ignis had stopped giving him suggestions, just to perk up every time Noctis showed interest in anybody.

Once he was dressed, Noctis took the dry towel to rub it over his hair, not caring how it looked because it would get hidden under the basecap anyway. Admittedly not the best disguise, but sufficient enough. Besides, it wasn't like Noctis really cared about getting recognized as the Prince of Lucis. No one would believe that he was actually out on the streets by himself, and in the corners that he intended to go anyway.

"Did you think I'd go out with a fan? Ignis, really," Noctis smirked as he slipped his wallet into his pants' pocket. "And betray my beloved Oracle?" he feigned one of those posh accents that everyone at the court liked to use so much.

"Well, seeing as you keep claiming that the two of you are 'just friends' you leave me no other choice," Ignis replied with a small snort.

"Yeah, right. And have an even bigger scandal raise from this, nah. I'm not taking that risk," Noctis snorted, handing the towel back to Ignis, whose frown softened into a gentle smile. 

"I just want you to have fun and be happy. I'm sure we'd be able to... to quench such a scandal before it could even arise."

Noctis smiled and put a hand on the tall man's shoulder, squeezing it softly as he looked up at him. "I know. And I appreciate everything that you do for me. For us, the band, everyone. Really, Iggy, you're the greatest."

Ignis held that look before his shoulders slumped. "I just wish you had stuck with fishing as your hobby. It's a lot less dangerous."

"Monsters of the Deep isn't a hobby anymore," Noctis sing-songed as he walked to the door. "We got a record deal, thanks to everyone's hard work, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," Ignis sighed and started following the prince, just to stop next to the study desk. "Where do you want me to drop you off this time? And if he's working on the cover, wouldn't that mean he's also working on the whole booklet?"

"Funny that you say this, because Mercury said the exact same thing," Noctis agreed, stopping in the open door. "Your point being?"

"Well, if he's working on those things and you need to turn in the cover for printing next week... Don't you think Mercury would want to know, I don't know, all these vital informations that are usually in a booklet? Band members, lyrics, oh, and definitely the track list," Ignis elaborated, shifting so that his body pointed to Noctis' tablet that was still on the prince's desk.

"Oh. Oh! Right," Noctis acknowledged, and hurried over to get his tablet, a pair of headphones and a notepad with scribbles and words for new songs into an extra padded black backpack. "This isn't a meeting between friends. I'm supposed to work," he narrated, looking at his advisor to confirm what he was thinking.

Ignis nodded with a charming smile. "I'm sure that was Mercury's intention when he called you up."

"Right," Noctis huffed again, feeling a little disappointed. "First work, then play." 

His ulterior plan was to spend more time with the artist and had thus been overly excited when he had called him. Of course it was Ignis' duty to remind him that life wasn't just play, but also work. And especially now, when he had asked Mercury to work for him. They could probably hang out later, _after_ all work was done, no matter how much Noctis wanted to get to know the other better.

"That's how it works," Ignis agreed and ushered the prince out of his room and into the elevator that would take them to the Citadel's private car park. "Now, where do you want me to drop you off this time? If you need to buy breakfast for two on your way, that is."

"Uhh," Noctis said, fumbling his phone out of his pocket to see that he had a new message from a number he hadn't yet saved yet. It was a short introductory sentence stating that this was Mercury and then where to meet before Noctis saw the attachment. He opened it as they walked to his car, Ignis opening the door for him.

"Some guy called Quercus Acutissima. He has a print shop at this address. Mercury said to simply call once I'm there, because he's apparently renting out a room there? What... I have no idea what that means," the prince sighed, falling into the passenger seat. Sure, he could have driven himself, but somehow the novelty of being able to drive a fast car had worn off quicker than he had thought, and the car he had gotten for this twentieth birthday was only used when someone else needed it. Now that four years had passed, he let Ignis drive him around in it when no other car was available, because no matter how sleek and fast and agile his Audi R8 was, inside it was pretty narrow and uncomfortable to spend time in. Noctis knew that he car was custom-made just for him, but that didn't stop him from abandoning a toy he had no interest in using. He was much happier being driven around anyway.

"It means exactly that. You go to that workshop, call Mercury on his phone now that you have his number and then you wait for him to pick you up," Ignis explained calmly as he drove the car onto the streets of Insomnia. "I'll let you out a few blocks from there. Try not to get lost, but if you do, you know how to use the GPS on your phone, right?"

"Yes, yes and _yes_ , mom," Noctis sighed and rolled his eyes as he watched the streets turn from those with high and modern skyscrapers into smaller houses the further Ignis drove the car away from the city center. He liked how everything looked like it had grown organically together, even though the styles clashed sometimes. It looked _alive_ and not like someone had meticulously planned every last bit. 

That was the main reason why he loved MRCRY's artwork so much. It was alive, every last picture of it, each fleck of paint looking like it had a story, a _reason_ to be where it was, even though that reason was sometimes simply because it had scattered there. There wasn't much order, despite the fact that even Noctis could tell that MRCRY knew exactly what he was doing and that he wouldn't stop until it looked exactly like he wanted his pictures to look.

He loved every last piece of it. Just looking at them made him feel almost as alive as he felt on stage, singing. 

So, knowing that he would soon see - and hopefully experience - how the artist worked, made Noctis feel giddy already, and his leg shook excitedly all throughout the trip towards the city limits. He could feel Ignis' eyes on him, expecting to be reprimanded, but his old friend already knew that it would be futile to talk some sense into the prince at this stage. So he just drove quietly, the radio playing Ignis' preferred station, one that only ever played classical operas.

Noctis hummed the tune of one, because he liked it despite the fact that it wasn't usually his type of music. It was one of those operas that had an actual story and after Ignis had sat him down and explained the long and winded story of a fatally sick courtesan and a young rich man who falls in love with her, Noctis felt more inclined to sitting through one of these heavy things with his oldest friend. He would even go as far as to admit that he loved one or two of these classic operas.

No one ever said that you had to limit yourself to one style of music. In Noctis' case, he _made_ the music that he wanted to make and listened to whatever he liked.

"We're here," Ignis announced suddenly as he pulled the car to the side, the powerful engine purring like a giant cat as he waited for Noctis to stop daydreaming. "There's an organic coffee shop just down the street; they sell your favorite brand of hot chocolate. They have a good collection of donuts as well."

Noctis nodded, accepting the knowledge of his advisor without thinking about where he knew that from and said, "Thank you," before he got out of the car. He remembered that Mercury was hesitant to accept his donut offer, so maybe he should try and get something other than donuts?

"Ignis... If somebody doesn't eat donuts or sweets for breakfast, what do they usually eat?" he asked as he shouldered his backpack, leaning down to talk to his advisor through the car's door.

"Well, I'd suggest some granola or other cereals... Or, if you're really a fan of savory options, I'd suggest a bagel with cream cheese and various toppings. _Greens_ are a good option," Ignis explained, throwing Noctis a long suffering look, mixed with a smirk. 

Noctis groaned and rolled his eyes. "I get it, I get it. Either way, thanks for your help, I'll call you when we're done."

"Take care and don't hesitate to call Gladio if you need him either," Ignis nodded and smiled. He looked like he wanted to say so many more things, but held back, mostly because he knew that he had said these things so many times before and Noctis knew them all by heart already. "...See you later."

"Bye," Noctis smiled and stepped back, closed the door and then watched as Ignis drove his car off with a roaring engine. He slumped, his backpack heavy on his back, before he took out his phone and checked his location and the way to this print shop. He started walking immediately after he had a general idea where to go and put his phone back into his pocket.

Noctis revelled in these moments of solitude, when he could move around the crown city on his own, unrecognized and without anybody watching over him too closely. Years of self-defense lessons with Gladio and everyone else from the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard had made his reflexes as quick as that of a cat and it was only because he was able to defend himself so well and take care that nothing ever happened to him that his father, wise King Regis, allowed his only son and heir to go out on his own, to stand on a stage among a crowd of potentially dangerous people, each one of them a possible assassin. He had been told that if the Lucis could still use magic like they had been granted by the Astrals millenia ago, he would be able to _warp_ out of harm's way. Alas, he was just a normal human being like everyone else, maybe a little privileged in comparison to the average person, but _no one_ was able to warp anywhere anymore. Therefore, Noctis felt pretty safe on his own.

As sheltered as he had been raised, Noctis loved every single moment when he was allowed to be on his own. With a happy tune on his lip, he walked down the street and found the coffee shop that Ignis had recommended. Aside from the prince's favorite hot chocolate, they also sold his advisor's favorite brand of coffee, Ebony. Noctis smiled, knowing that this was why Ignis knew about this place and wondered if Mercury would also judge him for his posh taste of coffee, seeing how Ebony wasn't really the cheapest brand out there. Noctis didn't know if it was good, either. To him, all coffees tasted the same, but he still drank it because he wanted to seem all grown up. Since he was the youngest in his immediate surroundings everyone kind of looked down at him, and despite the fact that he was the prince he always felt belittled, so he tried this best to be as mature and adult-like as possible and drinking coffee played a big part in that. It didn't matter that he used a lot of creamer and sugar each time, because he drank coffee. Maybe one day he would be able to stomach the stuff black and without sugar, maybe on the day that he became his father's successor on the throne.

He ordered two simple cappuccinos for the two of them, packed a handful of sugar packs for himself before he asked the clerk to pack him a few of the sweetest, greasiest donuts into a box. They looked good and Noctis hoped that Mercury thought of them just like that, that he would deem them worthy to be turned into his next masterpieces. They would fit into his current line of food-related paintings.

As the prince wrinkled his nose at the choices for bagels on display - one of them greener than the other, one of them even having a _green_ bagel, made of algae, apparently - he took a deep breath and decided to go completely against his own tastes and asked the clerk to prepare a low-fat, green bagel with low fat cream cheese and tomatoes and cucumber for him. The guy looked at him funnily for a second and asked him if he was okay while Noctis was sure that his face was green as well, but he nodded, biting back the commentary that the bagel was for someone else, even though he would have been glad to say that it was for a friend.

A friend... Well, Mercury wasn't his friend. Yet. But Noctis would do everything in his powers and abilities that this changed. He wanted to befriend the artist, have someone he could talk about with about art and music and everything else in between. Nyx, Crowe, Libertus, Gladio and Ignis were great, just like everyone else at the Citadel, but they all _had_ a reason to be there for him. He wanted someone to talk to that he had befriended himself, because they _wanted_ to be his friend.

Once he got his bag with the donuts, the bagel and his coffee choices, he thanked and tipped the clerk generously. The tune back on his lips, he hummed all the way to the print shop.

To his great surprise, Mercury stood in front of it, tapping his foot impatiently, wearing the same clothes that he had worn the night before. His hair was even still styled in the same way.

Noctis blinked and regarded the man with curious eyes. The blond's face lit up as spotted him approaching and then waved at him with a big smile that made Noctis' cheeks heat up with a strange affection that he usually reserved for cats and chocobos. And puppies. And other small animals.

"Hey, over here!" The artist shouted happily, his voice vibrating like the sweetest music in the prince's ears. He was smiling so brightly that it made Noctis' heart flutter and despite the fact that the hot summer sun was already shining, Noctis' day had suddenly become a little brighter. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there were a few things in the comments to the previous chapter:
> 
> Q: Where was Ignis during the concert?  
> A: Ignis, as Noctis' advisor and his second job as the manager of Monsters of the Deep, was standing in the back of the crowd, making sure that the performance was alright. (If you want to, you can imagine him filming the whole thing so that MotD can improve their performance.) He was also talking to the organizer of the gig to help them improve (the flyer for example.) and to make sure that nothing illegal is going on.
> 
> Q: Wow, the singer of OLDCODEX sounds a lot like Noctis' VA!  
> A: True! That's because that IS actually Noctis' Japanese VA! As I've said in the notes of Chapter 1, this is even half of the reasons why I'm writing this story. STILL! Noctis and Tatsuhisa Suzuki are two different characters! Please do not mistake this story as a badly executed RPS fic. It is NOT RPS in any way! I'm simply referencing OLDCODEX's history as the one for Monsters of the Deep. ;D That being said, there ARE similarities between Noctis' stage persona "Noct" and Tatsuhisa's stage persona "Ta_2" (pronounced as "Tatsu"), as they are both characters outside the boundaries of their "daytime jobs" (prince of Lucis and a regular voice actor in i.a. idol anime which have special, STRICT rules), but this is where the parallels between them end.
> 
> Now, what do you think, now that you know Noctis' thoughts in all of this? Tell me here or write me [@makikoigami](https://www.twitter.com/makikoigami)!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> MRCRY and Noct try to work on the cover for Monsters of the Deep. _Try_ being the keyword. Breakfast comes first though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly about Noctis being awkward and not being sure what to do with all THESE FEELS and thus being even more awkward. I hope you do enjoy that as much as I do. ;D
> 
> PS: I had a hard time not to make them flirt too much...? But they're both still young and not so experienced, I guess that happens... but well, you guys still have a long way to go. ^^;;
> 
> [LOOK AT THIS CUTE CHOCOBUTT BY MY WIFE!](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/170011154026/look-a-wild-chocobutt-appears-for-makikoigami)

"Hey!" Noctis shouted back and hurried over with the bag of donuts in his hand, balancing the coffee with his other. He had a little skip in his steps, fueled by the other's smile. "How are you?" He greeted, his heart still beating a little too fast as he smiled at the bespectacled Mercury, who was wearing an old and worn hoodie jacket, covered in paint splashes, too many for Noctis to really start guessing which picture he had painted last.

"I'm fine, how are you?" Mercury replied, his smile still in place as he took the paper bag from the prince's hands. He didn't bother to look inside although Noctis was sure that he must be curious, before he led him through a door next to the entrance of the print shop.

"Just peachy... I'm really excited to see you, um, work? And... what you wanted to show me," Noctis felt the tips of his ears heating up at his little slip up. To cover up his excitement to meet up with the other man, he quickly nodded to the paper bag. "I didn't know what kind of donuts you liked, but I remembered you aren't so fond of sweets, so I bought you bagel? I hope it's okay."

"Oh? That's... That's really nice of you. Thank you," Mercury replied, slowing down for a moment to glance down to bag in his hands, trying to squint inside this time. Noctis watched him closely and felt his eyes widen as he thought he saw a blush under that collection of freckles and paint sprinkles on the blond's face.

They went through a long corridor to another door that led to a spacious room smelling of paint and thinner. Wrinkling his nose, Noctis found enough space on a small table next to cans of acrylic paint to place the cups of coffee on before he shed his backpack and his padded vest. When he looked up again, he saw the paintings in the middle of the room and after he had processed what was on them, he couldn't take his eyes off them anymore.

"Wow... Is this... Luna... I mean, _Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret_?" His childhood friend's full name felt too heavy on his tongue and he wrinkled his nose a little before he looked with wide eyes from the blue tinted picture to the red. His gaze moved from the female to the male, from the familiar to the unfamiliar face, baffled by the similarities he could point out. One was his best friend, the other was a face he had seen a few times, but couldn't place in his memory.

"H-huh? Oh! Oh, yeah," Mercury replied stepping closer to Noctis' side, following his line of sight. "That's... Those are my newest paintings, Shiva and Ifrit. I... I painted them like... Like in that series, um, _Game of the Gods,_ do you know which one?"

"Uh... Yeah, I do," Noctis lied. While he knew that Luna had a major role in it, he had yet to actually watch one episode. But of course he knew which show Mercury was talking about, Nyx kept going on and on about how he thought that Luna flirted too much with her co-star on screen.

Not taking his eyes off the paintings, he stepped closer, following lines and strokes of brushes before he got stuck at the very accurate features of his childhood friend. "They're awesome."

"Do you really think so?" Mercury asked, sounding unsure, but not without a little proud smile as he unpacked the donuts and his bagel. "I-I mean, I could change their features so that-" 

"No! It's great," Noctis quickly interrupted, his eyes trailing the gentle curl of Shiva's lips as she looked at her lover Ifrit. "He doesn't look like it, but Nyx is probably the biggest fan of that series..."

"Really?" the artist asked in surprise, his eyes almost comically wide.

"Mhm, he'd love the picture of Shiva," Noctis grinned, because he knew something that no one else knew. He knew that Luna would adore these two paintings, but Nyx wouldn't like hanging them up. If Mercury could change the pyreburner's features to look more like his fellow band member's, instead of some unrelated actor it would make a great anniversary gift for his two good friends, but Noctis had promised not to let anyone outside their inner circle know. Well, next year maybe.

"But that's not why I'm here, right?" Noctis turned around to see if he could help Mercury with setting up their little eating place.

"Ah, no..." Mercury agreed, before he turned to pick up a small canvas. Upon his return, his stomach was growling so loudly though that Noctis winced.

"Maybe you should eat something first," Noctis suggested, chuckling sympathetically. "I haven't eaten myself and I'm usually a very bad morning person." He had to bite his tongue not to mention that Ignis kept saying he was horrible before his first intake of food in the morning. Since Mercury knew who Ignis was, he didn't need to know that Noct and Prince Noctis were the same person, _yet_. Even though the prince didn't want to keep his identity a secret from the artist, he had promised his father he wouldn't tell anyone who didn't absolutely have to know about it. Also, he had experienced time and time again that people would treat him differently from others once they learned about his royal status. And he just didn't want that, especially not from Mercury.

"Maybe we should have breakfast first," Mercury chuckled, and Noctis unconsciously leaned a little closer to the other man as if he could hear more of his laughter. He liked the sound of it, because it made him feel all warm inside and... at home, for the lack of a better word. "Are you okay with sitting on the floor? I use this room to work and not... well. I rarely have guests."

"That's fine with me," Noctis was quick to reply. He looked around and found a spot on the naked concrete floor that was relatively clean from paint splatters, where he put his vest on the ground before he got their coffees and sat down. For a moment he feared he had done something weird, to sit on something between his ass and the cold ground, but when Mercury got himself an old and worn looking cushion to sit on, he sighed in relief, glad that he hadn't given away his real identity by doing something that only princes did. Or at least Mercury had yet to call him out about it.

"Here. I got some sugar, but I guess that's only me who's gonna use that, huh?" Noctis smiled as he handed Mercury one of the cappuccinos, opening the lid of the one he got to pour one pack of sugar inside. Once he had stirred and sipped on his beverage, he remembered that Ebony was actually pretty damn bitter, so he poured another pack of sugar into the cup.

"Yeah, although, with those donuts you brought, I'm sure it'll be sweet enough," Mercury smirked as he took a sip, sighing as he swallowed the hot and bitter beverage. "Nothing better to wake you up than the bitter taste of Ebony."

"...You can taste what brand this is?" Noctis asked, flabbergasted. "And wait, weren't you the one to call me and tease me about sleeping in?" 

"Uh, yeah? I mean, I think I got through university with more Ebony in my veins than actual blood. It's a pretty nostalgic taste," Mercury smiled sheepishly. Noctis, however, was distracted by the faint blush forming on his freckled cheeks again.

"Huh... is that so," the prince said, blinking to tear his gaze away from the blond's cheeks and get his thoughts back on track.

Well, at least he had a much better idea now what Nyx meant when he said that he could look at his wife's cheeks for hours and count her barely visible freckles. For Noctis, however, it was something completely new, having this much interest in a person. He had always adored MRCRY and his artwork, but the photographs he had seen of him before didn't do him justice at all. Back then, he had just looked like the average nerd, thick glasses, long blond hair and Noctis had always wondered how someone looking so plain could make art as expressive as this.

Now that he had met the artist, he was even more baffled, because he hadn't counted on MRCRY being this _cute_. So, in addition to his excitement of spending time with his favorite _artist_ , he was now excited to spend time with some _one_ he found very interesting as a person. Definitely a new one for him and he had absolutely no idea where to put all of these new impressions and feelings, but before he could overanalyze himself, he quickly decided that he didn't want to think too hard about this right now.

"Yeah, you know. Artists know how to function on caffeine most of their lives," Mercury smirked around the lid of his coffee, humming as he took another sip.

It was then that Noctis noticed how his comment about sleeping in had gone completely unnoticed. "Huh, I wouldn't know," he chuckled. "Still, that doesn't explain why you'd need coffee _now_ to wake up, when it was you who made fun of me for being in bed, when you called me earlier. You _do_ know that rock stars sleep all day after a long concert and after party, don't you?"

Noctis had meant to be teasing, had tried to joke around, but he hadn't counted on the fact that Mercury would suddenly turn all red at his words.

"Ah, well," the blond started, clearing his throat as he took the bagel out of the paper bag. "I... guess you don't know that once the muse kisses you, you keep pushing yourself forward, completely ignoring all physical needs like drinking, eating... _Sleeping_..."

Trailing off, Mercury's blush even intensified, and Noctis just stared at him with wide eyes, the gears in his head working until he realized what the other wanted to say.

Before Noctis could come to a conclusion though, the artist had unpacked his bagel and looked down at it with the fondest smile the prince had ever seen. "Cream cheese and veggies... my favorite," Mercy commented, looking up with a smile so bright that Noctis felt almost blinded. "Thanks, Noct."

That was it. Noctis felt like his soul was leaving his body, his heart standing still for a moment and leaving only static behind.Never before in his life had he _ever_ been this excited, this _eager just_ to get close to somebody, completely disregarding their gender. Only when he stood on the stage, singing his heart out, listening to the music he made, had he ever felt something as powerful and exciting as what he felt in this very moment and he had absolutely no idea what to do about this. This was so different from what Luna had told him what first love was like and so different from anything else he had imagined love at first sight to be, no matter what Ignis had suggested it to be like.

Besides, he just wanted to be friends with Mercury. He wasn't looking for love, he was looking for a friend and a potential band member, the one person that made them special in a sea of many upcoming bands. There was nothing that he could do about this, right? There was absolutely nothing that he could have done to prevent this human being from being so adorable that Noctis just wanted to hug him  and squeeze him and cuddle him to death.

As usual though, he did nothing, Instead it only now dawned him suddenly that Mercury had just told him that he hadn't slept, eaten or drunk anything because he had been kissed by the muse or whatever.

"Um, er, it's... nothing, really... I just picked the most healthy things, the things I'd most likely not eat... Wait. Are you trying to tell me that you haven't slept since yesterday?!"

For someone like Noctis who needed almost as many hours of sleep as a cat did, skipping a night of sleep sounded like the worst thing that anybody could do to him, worse than anything out of a horror movie.

"Um... maybe _some_ shut-eye here and there," Mercury murmured, finally taking a large bite out of his bagel that ended with a grateful moan. "Really, so good. Thanks."

"You're welcome," Noctis managed to smile, although he was still out of it over how someone could just _skip_ sleep like a boring meeting or closing the curtains before going to sleep or skipping the tutorial in a new game. Like, how were they able to? He could understand that not everyone needed as much sleep as he did, but _how_? Ignis for example. Noctis' advisor functioned perfectly on a daily dose of six hours of sleep, just like Gladio. His personal bodyguard liked to nap every now and then, just as much as Noctis tried to get some sleep whenever he had the chance to do so.

Noctis waited until Mercury had finished his bagel, agonizing over what he was supposed to do. He wanted to tell the other that he thought he was absolutely adorable, wanted to yell at him for skipping sleep and in total he was simply happy that the artist would go to such extreme lengths to finish the painting for their album cover. On the other hand, he felt bad that this had happened on the expanse of the blond's sleep and he knew he had to say something, but words eluded him. What were words? How could he even express himself? He just wanted to tell Mercury how much all of that meant to him, but how could he say this without sounding like a complete idiot? Or worse, a lovesick puppy.

"...do you do that often?" Noctis ended up asking, because even though his thoughts had run a mile a minute, he realized that he had to start asking something.

"Do what often? Eat a veggie bagel?" Mercury asked, swallowing the bite in his mouth a moment too late before he grinned sheepishly. "No, um, usually I have some cereal for breakfast-"

"No, I meant, do you often skip sleep to work on something?" Noctis elaborated, sipping on his own cappuccino as he fished a donut out of the box. "I just, I mean... _how_?"

"How can I skip sleep?" Mercury finally finished his bagel with another hum before he licked his fingers absent-mindedly. "Hm... Just... like that? I work on something, forget the time and suddenly... the whole night has passed? And then I can't just go to sleep in broad daylight, so I just... keep working? Except for the other day, I went to bed late at night and just slept until noon. Forgot to set an alarm."

"When was that?" Noctis asked, licking icing from his thumb.

"Uh... Friday? I went to take pictures that day," Mercury replied while he sipped on his cappuccino.

"So... the day before yesterday? When you took that picture of me at the gallery?" Noctis remembered how much he had feared to cause a public scene then. Ignis had told him over and over again to demand to have pictures of this kind deleted, but somehow, on that day, Noctis hadn't had the heart to do that much. It had been just one person and except for those ads, Noctis couldn't recall that MRCRY had ever had real people in his paintings. Well, except for these two big ones hanging in the background.

"Uh, yeah. That," Mercury replied, somehow turning even redder than he had before. How could one person blush that much without getting dizzy? Almost instinctively, the prince pushed the box with the donuts closer to the artist so that he could infuse some more sugar and thus energy into his system. "I'm sorry if I overstepped some boundaries with that, I do promise that I don't ever use those pictures for my art, I just like taking pictures of people for myself."

"Well, as long as you don't publish them anywhere, we're good," Noctis' lips tugged upwards, forming the beginning of a smirk. "Or use them for... you know what. In private." He wiggled his eyebrows as the blond stared at him blankly, obviously not catching on to his innuendo.

Oh god, he was corrupting this pure soul with the dirty jokes everyone around him made! It wasn't even like he was enjoying those, but somehow, as he was hanging around with Libertus and Crowe and Gladio, he had picked up so many dirty jokes that he was making them himself without even noticing anymore.

Noctis rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he stared down at his lap, turning beet red himself. "I-I mean. If you want to look at those pictures _all by yourself and in private_ to... do _things_ , I guess there's nothing I can say about that, but, um..."

Mercury's eyes suddenly widened comically and even as Noctis started to admire the nonpareil color of his irises - a light blue with just a hint of pink that made them look more like violets, something he hadn't thought possible - he was distracted by the blush that spread all over his cheeks. The color made the sprinkles on his cheeks stand out even more, a feat that Noctis would forever continue to adore and get distracted by.

"What the fuck?! Oh my god, what the heck do you think I'm doing?" Mercury started laughing loudly, holding his stomach as he slapped his thigh. "Holy shit, you really think I take pictures of people to... to paint the pickle?!"

"What? What the heck is that kind of euphemism for masturbating?!" Noctis joined the artist's exuberant laughter. "'Painting the pickle' - Is that artist speak?" the prince asked, even more amused that Mercury was using an euphemism with a vegetable.

"What? Because it uses 'painting'? Oh gods, no!" Mercury laughed, holding his stomach. For a few minutes, the room was filled with their laughter, refueled by the other every time one of them tried to tone it down. "Oh my god, I don't think I've laughed so hard in _years_!"

"Me neither," Noctis replied amused, chuckling at a suddenly resurfacing memory. "Except that one time Crowe lifted Gladio up bridal style and he squealed like a pig. You should have seen his face!"

Mercury laughed out loud again, wiping tears from his eyes. "Stop," he wheezed and held up a hand. "I thought something up was up with her, but that just easily tops everything I imagined!"

"Yeah, she's insanely strong! You wouldn't want to get on her bad side," Noctis wiped his eyes as well, even as he still giggled.

"Wasn't planning to," Mercury snorted and looked up with his cheeks flushed from all their laughter. "Seriously, I thought she'd rip me another if I so much as looked at her wrong."

"Oh, trust me. She would and she _has_. Luche still gives her a wide berth," Noctis huffed and raised his head to find Mercury looking at him questioningly. "Um, Luche is one of the guys at... at the recording studio," he lied, realizing only too late that he was talking about another member of the Kingsglaive, who had nothing to do with the music they were making.

"Ah," Mercury nodded, as if that was enough explanation for him. Noctis sighed in relief, glad that he had managed to avert having to explain himself further than that. He wasn't good at downright lying, but he had learned to bend the truth diplomatically in his lessons with Ignis and his other instructors at the court. "What happened?"

Well. Noctis had spoken too soon. 

He sighed again and wracked his brain for a plausible explanation. Well, if he left out the fact that things had happened during the training of the Kingsglaive, he was pretty sure that he could explain everything without giving himself away.

"Well, he commented on her hair and said that it looked like a crow's nest... And then added it fit because of her name," Noctis summarized the events. Of course, it had been a taunt during a practice match, nothing out the ordinary, really. But Crowe obviously didn't like getting her hair likened to that of a bird's nest, so she had gone all out, kicking Luche's ass until he ended up roughly on his ass, with the tip of her stick millimeters away from his throat. The whole training ground had been completely silent then, even as Crowe had pulled back her stick and disappeared into the showers.

The prince watched the artist carefully, wondering what he thought of the story. Did he think it was boring? Did he think it was funny? Was he scared of the bass player now?

Well, the grin on Mercury's face was certainly a good indicator that the blond was more amused than scared. As Noctis grinned tentatively himself, the blond started snickering and that turned into another round of full-blown laughter as the two looked at each other.

"Dude, I _really_ don't _ever_ want to get on her bad side," Mercury laughed. "Wouldn't have, but it's even worse from what I've imagined."

"Really? Oh man, she's gonna be so pissed that people get scared by her on first sight already," Noctis got out between his own laughter. "She wanted to be the most approachable."

"No shit, but I think Libertus is doing a better job at being the band mom. No, Nyx is. Like... I dunno, he looks scary, but he's actually a nice guy? Unless you tell me he actually dates a minor," Mercury feigned a dramatic gasp.

Noctis snorted. No, Nyx' wife was not a minor, still, no one would like it if they suddenly announced their marriage. In fact, Noctis was more than happy to help them conceal what they could.

"Nah, he's gruff, gruffer than Gladio even, but a nice guy. He writes good songs," Noctis explained.

"Oh, so he's the one responsible for your music?" Mercury asked, finally reaching for a donut himself. 

Noctis felt the tips of his ears heat up as he watched the artist chew, feeling just embarrassed to brag about his own role in Monsters of the Deep. When it came down to it, he had made Nyx, Crowe and Libertus play in a band with him and sometimes - i.e. every time they argued about something - he wondered if he should just let them go and hire other musicians. However, the three glaives had become his friends and Monsters of the Deep wouldn't be the same without them. Besides, he would be terribly lonely without them.

"No, um, I have most ideas. Nyx just... His family has always been musicians, so that was just... What he did when he fled here from Galahd," Noctis explained slowly, wondering if he had revealed too much with this one sentence. "He, Crowe and Libertus used to have their own band there before they came here."

He frowned, feeling unsure about his work, knowing just how that made him look to the outsider: a spoiled brat, using a bunch of refugees for his own advantage to become famous. While that was partly the case, he just wanted to make music that people could enjoy as much as he did. Once they got out of their practice room at the Citadel's barracks and played in front of an audience, strangers that none of them knew, he felt that new excitement and it made him happy when people were enjoying themselves to the music they made. 

Still, Noctis was the only one taking a risk as they naturally became more and more popular as more people enjoyed  the music they created. His father, king Regis had been under heavy critique as he had been travelling Eos with his closest friends to reach out to the people, fighting the war against Niflheim and he had gotten everyone's respect being a kind and thoughtful ruler only later... To think that his son wanted to make rock music was simply atrocious. There was a stigma on the role of a rockstar who made loud and upbeat music, that they were a rebel, a delinquent, and while Noctis felt like a rebel on stage, it was the only thing he ever wanted. To stand on stage and let people have fun, which had so far worked fine.

"Oh," Mercury replied, blinking. "My... my caretaker was a refugee as well," he explained and Noctis felt his eyes widen. "We... we never had much money and they died when I was fourteen..."

For a moment, Noctis was speechless. He knew that many people had fled to Insomnia during and after the war with Niflheim, but to learn that _so many_ people he knew and adored were refugees...

"What about you? Where do you come from?" Mercury asked him then, sounding mostly curious, but Noctis was much too shaken to read any other emotion into his voice.

"Um, I've always been a Crown Citizen. My dad, too, my mother, my grandfather... My family tree is pretty boring in comparison to everyone else," Noctis gave back with a nervous laugh. He had to bite his tongue because he could just easily say that more people knew about his family tree than he did.

"That's pretty nice though. Knowing where you come from," Mercury smiled and this time, Noctis could see something in his eyes that he would describe as melancholy, if not even pain. "I just know that I came here as a refugee, but I don't know from where I come. Whatever, I've been a crown citizen all my life," the blond elaborated and grinned wolfishly, which surprised Noctis in his boldness.

As someone who had grown up in Insomnia and had always taken his home city for granted, to hear these words of... deeply internalized pride to be part of this city, somehow touched him more than any lecture of speech from his father, Ignis or the council. He was always kind of neutral towards his hometown, finding it a hassle to deal with all the duties that had been laid upon him as the last member of the royal family.

But to know that there were people who were _proud_ of this city, Noctis felt like he had to give something back. Like he had to live up to those expectations laid upon him, that he had to be a better person just because _someone_ thought that Insomnia was a good city to live in.

He blinked in surprise and looked at Mercury in wonder, realizing that he had already gotten more than he had been looking for. Where he had simply been looking for some artwork for their upcoming album and maybe some insight in the artist's work itself, a completely new and unasked for approach - and also a bit of a new resolution as well - for his role as a future king for people like Mercury had been presented to him. And all just because there were refugees who thought that Lucis was worth the struggle to come here to find a better life. Refugees like Nyx, Crowe, Libertus and Mercury, people that he adored and admired. So, it was only natural that he wanted his city to live up to the expectations they had in it, a validation for their reason to come here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I kinda noticed too late that Noctis was too distracted by Prompto's freckles to really notice that he was still wearing the same clothes as the night before (plus that dirty hoodie), that his hair was still styled the same way as before and that there were pretty dark circles under his eyes. He is just very focused and straight-forward, okay? ^^;; J/K, it was totally my fault, lol.
> 
> Thanks to [Layann](http://layann.tumblr.com/) I reworked my tumblr(s) - [makikoigami](http://makikoigami.tumblr.com/) and my personal archive [makikoigami-fic](http://makikoigami-fic.tumblr.com/) \- a little, and I will SOON post the links to the previous chapters there, too. So, if you liked this chapter and this story, you can come to either and yell at me OR to my twitter, [@makikoigami](https://twitter.com/makikoigami).


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercury shows Noct the cover. And they work on the booklet.
> 
> This time for real!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [I made a poll on twitter about Ignis in this](https://twitter.com/makikoigami/status/957315077077721089)... Mostly out of curiosity. Voting is now over! Thanks to everyone who participated!

Once they had finished breakfast - Mercury told him again how grateful he was that Noctis had gotten him something savory _and_ healthy - the prince finally took a look at the canvas the artist had brought over earlier. 

"It's... well. I've been awake for too long to know if it's good or not. I'd sleep now, but since it's for your album and you need it by tomorrow," Mercury  explained as he handed Noctis the painting. The artist pushed up his glasses and wrinkled his nose a little, before he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.  

The square canvas was painted in a multitude of colors, and Noctis was sure that he could see a handful of layers in the paint already. It wasn't a big canvas, but thanks to the dark and layered acrylic paint it looked deep, much like either a dark lake or the sea at night, or like the night sky over Insomnia. Tiny splotches of red, yellow and white made it glow like it was alive, like it was _real_ and not just a picture. The prince was floored for a second, unable to put his astonishment into words.

"That's... so cool," he breathed in full awe, afraid that he would somehow break a spell if he spoke any louder. He reached out to touch the little logo with the angler fish on the right-hand side, just to realize that it was printed out and glued onto the drying paint.

"Do you like that? I thought up a few logos that we could use for the band name, this is just one," Mercury said and held up a page with printed logos. Most of them looked like fish, among them one where the D of Deep was a big monster fish, curled up in front of the two lines of the logo and then a few more looking like some sorts of fishes.

Needless to say, Noctis liked all of them. However, he really liked the little angler fish that had made its way onto the painting for the cover. Maybe he was biased, but if Mercury had liked the design so much to use it for that painting, then it must be his favorite as well. He trusted his judgement about this almost more than his own.

"They're all great," he praised as he held the canvas in one hand and the sheet of paper in the other. "But you know, I really, really like this one. Can I take a picture and send it to the others? And our manager, but I'm sure they'll say it's good, too."

"Er... okay," Mercury replied hesitantly, looking a little unsure, but Noctis was sure that he had seen his shoulders straighten and a tiny proud blush appear on his cheeks from his words. "I-I mean, I know they're awake because I called them earlier, and are not, like, sleeping in like rock stars."

"You mean like me," Noctis smirked  teasingly.

"Yeah, like you. Because you just kept insisting on it," Mercury gave back, returning Noctis smirk just as teasingly.

The prince laughed, his smirk turning into a grin. "Well, I do sleep a lot. Sometimes the others make fun of me, but I just... The worlds in my dreams are bigger and... and more interesting than..."

Trailing off, Noctis blushed and kept his gaze down on his phone, typing out a message into the group chat of his band. He kept staring down because he didn't want to see Mercury staring at him with wide, shocked eyes, like he was some sort of a weirdo. Gladio made fun of him at every possible occasion that he could fall asleep at any time and place; Noctis knew that Crowe and Libertus were rolling their eyes at him behind his back. Just Nyx didn't seem to care one bit, but then again, he was more interested in other things and was more occupied with writing songs.

A few awkward moments passed before Noctis dared to look up again. Mercury's eyes weren't on him, he was staring at the picture in his hands.

"...I can do better than this," he said suddenly, making Noctis blink in surprise and look at the artist in astonishment.

"Huh?" Noctis  was completely and entirely flabbergasted. Of all the things that Mercury could have said in this moment, this was the one he had least expected.

"Just... if the worlds you see in your dreams are bigger and better than reality, then I guess I have to... paint worlds that are just as interesting," Mercury explained, shrugging a little before he smiled shyly. "I-I mean... isn't that why... you like my paintings?"

"I..." Noctis started, but he was rendered speechless. He had never thought this was the reason, although he had always thought that he liked MRCRY's paintings because they were so full of life and color. Now that Noctis took a few more moments to analyze his feelings for those artworks, he realized that it was true.

_Wow._

It was as if Mercury had figured him out quicker than anyone else in his life. Which was equally scary and equally amazing, because he had always thought he was able to conceal his real self quite well. Maybe he was just good with the press, but no one else had been able to decipher him that easily before.

Before Noctis could say anything else though, his phone vibrated in his hands. He looked down again, just to see that Nyx was the first to reply.

Nyx: _[ Not what I expected, but looks good. ]_  
Crowe: _[ Yeah, totally not what I expected, but I like the logo. Is that an angler fish? ]_ __  
Libertus: _[ idc. If you like it, I'll take whatever. ]_  
Ignis: _[ That is a very intricate design. Did Mercury paint this last night? ]_

Noctis sighed in relief, his shoulders slumping from a tension he hadn't known he felt just a moment ago leave his body. He smiled and typed a message back.

Noct: _[ So, we take it as the cover? Y/Y? ]_ __  
Noct: _[ Also, yes, that's an angler fish. ]_  
Ignis: _[ ...I suppose so. That was the plan after all, wasn't it? ]_ __  
Crowe: _[ It's so cute! And so fitting. Why didn't *you* think of that? Why'd we have to do with that fugly logo during the last years? ]_  
Noct: _[ Could you please make that sound a little more enthusiastic? I think it looks fantastic and I'm ecstatic to have it as the cover of our album. ]_  
Noct: _[ You said it was okay. ]_  
Crowe: _[ Well, it was definitely better than anything else we had at the time. t(=n=) ]_  
Noct: _[ Well, I'm glad that we agree that this is way better than the old logo. Mercury has more, too. ]_ __  
Crowe: _[ More? OMG, you need to show us! ]_ _  
_ Noct: _[ Later. ]_

"They like it," the prince told the artist as he deemed the conversation finished. Ignis had given them his okay, so he would take the painting with him and have it scanned at the printing company. "We'll use it for the cover."

"Great! Now, um, let's work on the booklet?" Mercury suggested, stifling a yawn as he reached for his messenger bag. "I got everything we need right here."

The blond smirked at Noctis and for the first time the prince really noticed the dark circles under the other's violet blue eyes, testimony to the night of sleep he had skipped. And only now did Noctis realize that the artist was also still wearing the same clothes from the night before, hidden under the large hoodie jacket with the paint splotches. He frowned and said, "If... if you want to... to, like, nap for a few hours, that's-"

"Nuh-uh. We gotta get this done first. I can still sleep afterwards," Mercury reassured him as he powered up his laptop. It was an old, heavy, big thing and Noctis had a hard time not making a face at it. He wanted to throw all of his money at Mercury so that he could buy a new one, a better one when he saw the startup logo on the screen for an impossibly long time. Instead he just raised his brows at the blond when the machine started making more noise than any of the computers Noctis had ever used. 

He suppressed a sigh, and busied himself with reaching for another donut that he put on the lid of his coffee cup. And because he was still too lazy to get up and walk, he crawled all the way over to get his backpack. "I've got... all the data on it that we need," he explained on his way back, before he flopped down again and got his tablet out.

"Is... is that the newest iPad Pro?" Mercury gasped as he glanced over to the prince's lap.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah," Noctis replied. "Bought it from the money we got from the record deal," he was quick to add, because he could sense the upcoming silent stare of reprimand. "Look, um, I use this program to get the instruments for the background and then... um, there's this option to add vocals, too. So that's what I do," he explained as he started the app and opened up one of the songs they played the night before.

While the guitar tones sounded metallic and plastic at the same time - _wrong_ to anyone who had ever heard the real thing played by Nyx - it still represented the opening sounds perfectly. Noctis watched Mercury's eyes widen, surprised how he obviously recognized the song even after hearing it only once.

"That's... that the first song you guys played last night, isn't it? What was its name? I don't think I caught that," the blond asked, while he waited for his graphic program to open up completely.

" _cresc._ You know? Like in crescendo, um, when the music gets louder," Noctis explained, unsure if Mercury knew about these technical terms or not.

But the blond was already humming along with the lyrics channel, obviously trying to remember the lyrics. A wave of excitement went through Noctis as he heard the other's voice because it sounded surprisingly nice.

"'Current CRESCENDO SEQUENCE unleashed' (*) - That's the line where the title comes from, right? It's almost at the end, isn't it?" Mercury asked, surprising Noctis once more.

"Uh, yeah... You remembered that?" Noctis’ face scrunched up with all the disbelief and surprise that he felt at the moment. It had taken him months to memorize the lyrics. For someone else to remember them after hearing the song once and _live_ was more or less a miracle to him.

"Um... Yeah. Mostly because I got that and _Ignite_ stuck in my head ever since then. Not sure if it helped or didn't help me to paint the cover... but I poured all the energy I felt from these songs into it." Mercury nodded to the canvas on the floor as he explained himself. "It's not like I remember _all_ of it, I just... some lines got stuck in my head and I couldn't seem to get them out."

The blond laughed awkwardly and Noctis was sure his jaw had just hit the floor. "You... you felt that?"

"Y-yeah?" Mercury blushed again.  "Is... is that bad?"

Noctis shook his head. "No, but usually it takes people a little longer to... to understand what I'm trying to convey with those songs. At least Gladio took a while and... And whenever we talked to people in the audience afterwards. I mean, they like it, else they wouldn't be there, but everybody said they were a little unsure what to think of our songs at first."

Mercury looked back at him in thought before he raised his gaze to the ceiling with a little frown. He tapped the pen from his drawing tablet to his lip, obviously thinking a little harder than before. "Hm... I guess it takes some getting used to, but I just... I felt something? I mean, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have stayed awake all night if I... If I didn't have all these pictures in my head..."

Now, it was Noctis' turn to stare and fall quiet, even as Mercury looked pointedly away as his blush darkened. This time, the color reached not only his cheeks, but also the tips of his ears and Noctis couldn't help but find this terribly adorable. He knew that people were capable of this - he had seen Luna blush that hard once or twice from _something_ that she had read on her phone - but to see it from this young man, he couldn't help but find it adorable.

Then he though just how ridiculous it was to think of Mercury as a “young man”, because he was just as old as he was.

"...Is that why you said you can do better? Painting worlds to... be just as big as those of my dreams?" he asked then, slowly realizing the bigger picture in this. "Because..."

"Yeah," Mercury cut him off before he could say something embarrassing, something too philosophical. It was as if the blond could sense that he was about to make a fool of himself and stopped him before Noctis could say too much. 

Or he could read his mind and that was probably just a little more weird. Noctis really hoped that wasn't the case. On the other hand, if he had someone who could read his mind, then he wouldn't have to talk about everything anymore. Not that he disliked talking, but sometimes talking was just so very exhausting.

"Yeah, I'm... It's my aim... I want to open new worlds with my paintings, a new view on all kinds of things. At the moment... Well, my _last_ line was sweets that looked like something else, like, like _Vanilla Moon_ that you bought-"

"It was a croissant that looked like a crescent moon," Noctis interrupted, eyes brightening. "I liked that a lot! It was a perfect present for Lu- I mean, _my friend_ 's birthday."

Well, that had almost given him away. Sure, there were quite a few girls named Luna these days, but he didn't want to risk a thing. Even if he had nearly revealed himself already before, Noctis still thought that it was much too early to tell Mercury that he, the Prince of Lucis, wanted his artworks for his super secret band.

"Oh, you didn't buy it for yourself then?" The blond looked at him with wide eyes, the remnants of his blush still high on his cheeks.

"No, I've... Well, it was exactly what she liked and it... It reminded me of her. So, I thought she'd love to have it," Noctis admitted, trying not to sound too much like he was fidgeting for words in an attempt to cover up that he didn't really want to talk about who he gave the painting to. "I-I like _Moon Over Insomnia_ better anyway, so I... I will find ways to buy it next... Next week or so."

He trailed off, blushing since he knew that had just given away his status as one of the wealthiest young men in Insomnia. As if his designer clothes, high-end technology and the fact that he bought a rather expensive painting basically _on a whim_ hadn't given that away already.

"Dude, it's okay," Mercury laughed. "I know you're rich. Like, not the kind of new rich where you have to show it off, but the kind of rich that's natural to you, because you've been rich growing up. It's okay, you're okay, don't worry so much about it. I like that you're trying to blend in and, like, parodize the riches by wearing black when you're going out and stuff."

"I..." Noctis started to protest, but shut his mouth. He had never thought that his preference of wearing black could be considered as a kind of parody on the lifestyle of the riches. But if Mercury could see through him that easily, then it was probably better to just roll with it. "That obvious, huh?"

"Brand-new iPad obvious," Mercury grinned. "No one I know uses iPads. They've got Macbooks in almost all kinds of variations and _maybe_ an iMac at home, but no one can really afford an iPad just for fun. I'm sure you've got the latest, biggest iMac at home, too, and you share your data in the cloud, other than those of us who keep dozens of hard disk drives with copies of everything."

"I..." Noctis started again, just to sigh deeply and let his head hang. "Yeah. You're absolutely right. I use the big Mac when I'm at home and this iPad when I'm out and meeting with the guys."

"...Is that what you call it?" Mercury looked like he had a hard time holding back his laughter.

"What... What do you mean?" The prince asked, already starting to panic a little.

"Your... Your _Big Mac_?" Mercury chuckled. "I'm sure someone's gonna try to sue you for the use of that!"

"What, because it sounds like that... That _burger_?" Now that Mercury had told him about that, Noctis couldn't un-see it anymore. Why hadn't he realized that sooner? Holy shit! "Oh the Six!"

The prince started laughing, and then shook his head. "Dude, that's, like, the second time you made me laugh so hard!"

Mercury, who had joined his laughter, continued to grin and wiggled his eyebrows. "Well, that's something money can't buy, huh?"

"No," Noctis agreed as he was still laughing, coming down only slowly. 

It was then that Mercury came down as well, took a deep breath while he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he looked a lot more focused and finally looked down at the document that had just opened up.

"Okay, so. I think we can go with dark colors for the inside of the booklet? And I've got this for the tracklist on the back of the album, we just... Need to decide on a font," the artist said, moving windows around with the pen on his tablet, almost making Noctis dizzy with that. "Do you want to use some pictures of you and the guys on the inside? Because I could do that, but I don't this we really have the time for that..."

"No, we... we agreed that we only show our faces at concerts, everything else would just... Distract people from our music, don't you think?" Noctis explained quickly, although the real reason was that he feared people were more likely to recognize him as who he really was of they had solid pictures to compare.

"That's... I mean sure, but wouldn't you be more, um, popular if you showed your faces? I mean, you're all pretty attractive human beings, sometimes that's more important tha-"

"Nah, it's fine," Noctis interrupted quickly, although he was a little flattered that Mercury thought he was attractive. "If we get more popular, I guess we can go for more." It would go against all the promises he had with his father, and he really didn't want to cause any more uproar than he would with his music alone. Once they started playing in front of bigger audiences and attracted more attention through that, they would have to re-evaluate the conditions of their freedom, but for now, this was enough.

"If that's what you want, you're the boss," Mercury replied and sketched over a few corners of the first few pages of the booklet until it looked like something he had planned out right from the start. Noctis couldn't help but be fascinated by the quick and precise work the other did with his instruments, something that the prince would probably need hours for.

"Is... did you plan for it to look like that right from the start?" the prince asked, watching as Mercury drew a few more lines that looked like he had just randomly thought of placing them where he placed them. "I-I mean, it looks so... so _random_? At least to someone who has no idea of these things like me."

"Hm? Well, I do have an idea what I want to draw and... with practice I managed to eradicate half of those trial-and-error steps in the middle... So, um, to answer your question: Yes, I do have a plan, but I understand why you think those lines I draw are pretty random." The artist ended his explanation with a little chuckle, before he turned the computer screen so that Noctis could take a closer look at the page of the booklet as it was now. "I have a general idea of what needs to be in a booklet, but you also need to tell me what you _want_ in there. Like, the lyrics, who wrote the song, dedications and thanks, those kinds of things... I mean, I'm sure the record company has its own data they want to include, but those things should be there, right?"

Noctis felt a little bombarded with all that information, but it ran a vague bell. Like, something that Ignis had told him a few times, but that he hadn't bothered to memorize because that's what he had Ignis for, right?

"Ah, you'll need to tell me where to mail the finished product to... or do you need me to come with you tomorrow?" Mercury asked as he worked on the second page, looking up at Noctis' baffled face. 

That shook the prince from his reverie and he blinked before he looked up into the other's eyes again. "Uh, no, um, just... I'll need to give it to our manager. Either you send it to me and I'll forward it, or I'll give you his mail address..."

"Either is fine for me, let's work on this before we send it to anyone though, okay?" Mercury nodded, turning the pages he was working on into something entirely different with just a line. Noctis bit his lip to keep his mouth from dropping drop open and he took a conscious effort to tear his gaze away and look for the things that Mercury had asked him for.

Together, they worked on the booklet until late at night. Noctis continued to be baffled by the artist's quick and precise work while he kept sending pictures to his fellow band members and their manager, always asking for their opinions. While he and Mercury waited for their replies, they would talk about anything and everything. They found out that they played the same tap game on their phones and after a few heated rounds on Kings Knight, they forgot they had work to do. When they remembered they worked until exhaustion got the better of them, Mercury falling asleep even after Noctis.

Of course, the concrete floor wasn't the best thing to sleep on, but at least it provided them with some coolness in contrast to the summer heat that was still making you sweat even if you didn't move around much. Still, with Noctis' puffy vest and the cushion Mercury had been sitting on, they managed to be relatively comfortable, even if it meant that they had to curl up around each other and use the other as a pillow.

When the incessant ringing of his phone woke him up, Noctis found himself wrapped around the artist, holding him in a death grip with his arms, one leg hooked around both of the blond's. As embarrassing as the whole situation was, Mercury fortunately kept sleeping, his glasses askew, and didn't seem to mind being within the koala hold of one Noctis Lucis Caelum. And since he was sleeping so peacefully, Noctis didn't have the heart to disturb the poor man's slumber. Well, also because he knew that the blond had pulled an all-nighter for him the night before.

So, he aborted the call, even though it was Ignis who called him - and not just for the first time. Instead, he wrote his adviser that he was on his way, seeing that it was almost noon on Monday already. Carefully, he extracted himself from the tight hug he had held the artist in and pulled off his glasses to put them neatly onto the small table. Then he made sure that he had gotten all the files with the booklet on his tablet before he very gently packed up the painting that was going to be the cover of their album.

Before he left, he found a pen and scribbled a message on the lid of the pizza carton they had ordered as their late lunch-slash-dinner, right in the middle of a round of Kings Knight. Once that was done, Noctis saw that Ignis had texted him back and told him that he was waiting in front of the print shop with the car, just waiting for him to appear.

Throwing one last look back at Mercury, who was sleeping peacefully curled up on top of the prince's puffy vest, Noctis smiled fondly again and said a silent goodbye, repeating the promise that he had just written on the pizza carton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (*) The line '解き放たれた現在のクレッシェンドシークエンス,' (read: _Tokihanatareta genzai no CRESCENDO SEQUENCE_ ) once again from [here](http://www.jpopasia.com/oldcodex/lyrics/239921/oldcodex/cresc/) . I took the transcriptions and translations from that page, just to realize that it's a simple google translation. So, if that line doesn't make sense to you, don't worry. I'm sure the beauty it is more accessible through the Japanese original. ┐(；´・Д・`)┌
> 
> Expanding on that, I do believe that people in Insomnia talk Japanese, however, since my Japanese is nowhere good enough to write a whole story in, I keep writing this in English, although I am still leaning more to the Japanese version. HOWEVER, there will be a few jokes about Noctis' abilities to speak English canon-wise which wouldn't make sense if you didn't know that you're supposed to imagine all of this with native Japanese speakers. (Or WELL. Accordo being Italy. And, I don't know yet, Nifelheim, Tenebrae and so on being the places where English is the more common language. Maybe even already Cape Caem, being, MAYBE, Okinawa or Hawaii or something.)
> 
> Once again, since Prompto was still using his trusty old iPod, I thought I needed to continue with the fact that Apple products might a thing in Insomnia. ~~Also, I totally couldn't pass up on that bad joke.~~ XD That's why Noctis is using an iPad and iMac.
> 
> In case you are wondering how Prompto is working... I have seen artists work like that. You THINK that whatever they're doing doesn't make sense, but in the end, you get a perfect picture. It's amazing!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How did Prompto do after falling asleep in his atelier? You're going to find out now!
> 
> I struggled quite a bit with this chapter and I apologize if it's a little hard to read. D: Bear with me, I hope I can be better soon again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, apparently you guys want Ignis and Ravus to do the classic rivals-to-lovers-thing? Well, I'll be thinking about it. x'D

When Prompto woke up, it was on the concrete floor of his atelier. He winced in pain because his back was in kinks and as he rolled around he felt as stiff as a brick. The pain made him curl up a little more, just to groan and then he shivered, missing the warmth that had brought him through the night.

Wait. _Warmth?_

That was something new; Prompto never felt - or missed - the warmth of another person when he slept. Vaguely he remembered dreaming about being in the death hold of a giant  octopus though, which made it hard to move around as he usually did. Whatever it had been, it was gone now, replaced by a puffy kind of blanket that was both warm and cold to the touch. It also smelled absolutely fantastic and Prompto buried his face into the fabric to take a deep breath. With the scent, his memory returned, albeit slowly and he realized that this octopus hadn't been only in his dreams.

"Noct." 

The blond gasped as his eyes snapped open, and he stared down at the label of the puffy vest in his hand, the one that he was lying on, the one that rightfully belonged to one Noct Gar, who was _a customer_. Well, maybe a friend at this point, but before all, he was someone who had commissioned a painting from him and a full album booklet and they hadn't even talked about payment yet!

Prompto groaned and rolled onto his back, pulling the vest on top of him. Smelling it helped him forget that he hadn't showered two days in a row now, sweating profusely before which probably made him smell like a homeless person now. He stared at the ceiling and wondered how to bring up his payment the next time they talked. In the middle of a King's Knight game? Not really.

As he mused that he could just call the singer, Prompto wrinkled his nose and quickly dismissed the idea. Even if they had become friends last night, Prompto feared that he would just destroy that budding friendship by bluntly asking to get paid. From his experience, whenever he did an artwork for someone he had considered a friend and had asked for payment in return, he had quickly lost those 'friends' and they would never talk to him again.

Besides, what would he be asking him? _'Hey, remember when we fell asleep in my atelier after I gave you the painting to your album's cover and the booklet? Yeah, you forgot your vest. And my payment.'_ Not cool.

He sat up with a low groan, the lack of hydration from the previous day catching up on him in the form of a very bad migraine and a very dry throat. At least he had remembered to take off his glasses, or so it seemed, because he could make them out on the table where he had left his paint. 

The next thing he noticed was the smell of cold pizza and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. Pizza was nice when it was fresh and hot, but the longer you waited, the colder it got, the more it just smelled like grease and fat. For someone like Prompto, who actually preferred healthy food, it was pretty disgusting, especially mixed with his own not so nice odor and the smell of acrylics. Still, he remembered enjoying the meal with Noct last night, the two of them sharing a big meat lovers pizza they had ordered to silence their growling stomachs. 

To Prompto's excuse, he always went for greasy stuff with lots of carbohydrates when he hadn't slept much and Noct seemed to always go for the unhealthy stuff unless his manager made him eat healthier things. That, however, didn't make the smell go away and Prompto got up to throw the box away, so that the scent would go away.

He put on his glasses to fight the nausea from moving too fast and then bent down slowly to pick up the cardboard box, just to catch something scribbled in neat handwriting on top of the lid.

_[Dear MRCRY,_

_Thank you for last night, I had more fun than I've had in years. Hopefully we can repeat this some time soon._

_I'll call you,_ _  
_ _Noct._

_PS: We need to talk about your payment, too. I'll get you an offer from my manager.]_

Prompto didn't know if he should be happy or angry about Noct using the pizza lid as a message board when he could have used anything in this room. At least he was relieved that Noct Gar had not forgotten that an artist needed to be paid for his artwork, no matter how good friends they had become last night.

Quickly, he found a pair of scissors to cut out the message, a stupid memento of the last night and shoved it in his messenger bag, along with everything else he needed back at home. His phone's battery had died during an excessive round of Kings Knight and since he had been too lazy to get up and get his charging cable, he had just let it die. Now, he was a little anxious that Noct had tried to call him, but he decided that he could always text him back once his phone was alive again.

Prompto gathered up his work jacket, covered in paint from years of use and Noct's relatively clean vest.  He hung the first back onto its hook by the door, bunching the latter up in his arms to put it away on top of his messenger bag and locked the door. He greeted Quercus on his way out and promised to come back a little later, but first he needed to go home and take a long shower. Wearing the same clothes for three days straight had never been cool. Neither had been not showering.

Once outside the print shop, Prompto all but ran into Yohsuke.

"Mercury! You're alive! Man, you had us all worried!" the sculptor greeted him with a tight hug, obviously not caring that Prompto smelled like sweat and grime and garbage.

"What the-?!" Even as the blond was still gasping for air, he tried to figure out what had happened to warrant such an exuberant reaction from his fellow artist. Too late he remembered that he had promised to send periodic updates of his status after venturing to a corner of the city that no one really considered to be safe, which he had conveniently forgotten.

Funny, he didn't remember feeling like he could be in any danger _after_ meeting Noct Gar and his band.

"Come on, calm down, I'm a-okay. Just forgot to write you," he sighed as Yohsuke's hold became a little tighter than he could bear. He patted the sculptor's back in hopes that he would finally let go of him, this was getting a little awkward. On the other hand, he guessed that sleeping in the octopus hold of somebody who was almost a stranger was _a lot_ worse, but still. He didn't really enjoy Yohsuke's hug, no matter how much he understood his reasons. Couldn't he just wait until Prompto had showered first?

Luckily enough, the sculptor eventually pulled away and pouted down at him. Prompto sighed, but sent him an apologetic smile with a glance before he slumped a little. Even if he would never go as far as to consider the other as a friend, it was the only word that he knew to describe their relationship. They did things that friends did, like going out for a drink together and talk about their worries. Yohsuke was the _closest_ he had ever had to a friend, but Prompto had always felt a kind of distance towards the man that he had always considered to come from the fact that their relationship was based on having the same job. Not like someone whom he liked because they liked the same things and had the same thoughts.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't write you back. It's just... the concert was nice, I went straight home from it, but I knew I couldn't sleep so I painted that album cover Mr. Gar asked me for. Then I called him and we spent all day yesterday to work on the booklet of that album," Prompto explained, running a hand through his hair, just to wince at the mixture of hair gel and paint glueing the strands together.

Six, he must look awful in addition to the smell. If his hair was already feeling that sticky and dry and _bad_ , then Prompto didn't want to know what his face must look like. At least his glasses were clean, or clean enough for him to not notice that they were dirty.

"You... worked," Yohsuke said in disbelief. At last, he finally looked Prompto over from head to toe that confirmed half of his worst guesses were true: He looked and smelled bad.

The painter resisted the urge to roll his eyes and started walking towards his apartment. "Yes, we worked. I can show you what we worked on, too, if you _really_ want to know. But please excuse me now, I _really_ need a shower," the blond huffed as he suddenly felt grime crawling everywhere. He felt dirty and hungry and he would give everything for another bagel with cream cheese and-

"Mind if I come with you? I want to know what happened," Yohsuke said as he followed him down the road.

Once more, Prompto resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but he knew there was absolutely no way to turn down the other man if he really wanted to come.

"Do what you want," he sighed instead and just kept on walking. After a few steps however, he felt bad for brushing Yohsuke off like that, especially since the other was just worried about him. He stopped walking, slumped his shoulders and turned around. "...I'm sorry. Come on. I'll treat you to an ice tea or something. And even tell you what happened."

"Apology accepted," Yohsuke grinned as he hurried after Prompto, catching up with him a moment later. "Tell me, what was the music like? No wait. Tell me _everything_ , right from the beginning."

And so Prompto did. He told Yohsuke about the place, how scared he had been, told him about 'Gladdy-Daddy', about Crowe, Libertus and Nyx, the god-awful band that played before Monsters of the Deep and how surprisingly _good_ Noct Gar's band was. As they climbed the steps up to his apartment, Prompto described how restless he was on the way back, how he knew that sleep wouldn't come to him until he had painted the cover, so as soon as he had arrived at home, he had packed up his laptop and went to his atelier. 

Back in his apartment, Prompto went to make the promised ice tea and went on to explain how he had called Noct Gar at what he had thought was a decent hour, how he had woken him up and how they had had breakfast together. He tried not to gush too much, but he just had to point out how nice he thought Noct had been to remember that he didn't like eating sweet things so much.

He handed Yohsuke a half full mug with steaming hot fruit tea and a tray of ice cubes, before he started to unpack his laptop and plug in his phone as he kept talking about how _fun_ a guy Noct Gar was and how well they had gotten along. How they played the same games and how nice it felt to... to make a friend.

Yohsuke listened to him without saying anything at all, but as Prompto rummaged around, the pizza carton note fell unnoticed out of his bag. The sculptor couldn't help but pick it up, starting to grin from ear to ear as he skimmed over the note.

"What," Prompto demanded harshly, dreading the worst.

"' _Dear MRCRY,_ '" Yohsuke read out loud, his voice taking up a timbre that he usually saved for flirting with the ladies at the vernissage parties and Prompto's eyes widened in disbelief and fear. " _Thank you for last night, I had more fun than I've had in years. Hopefully we can repeat this some time soon._ ' Seems like you've made quite an impact on the guy."

Prompto groaned as he tore his gaze away and he threw his hands exasperatedly in the air. "Oh, _shut it_ ," he growled with a heated glare, his cheeks feeling like they were overheating as he tried to get the note out of the other's hand. Thanks to Yohsuke's sultry way of reading the passage, Prompto only now realized just _how_ Noct's words sounded. 

He made it sound like they had a _fun_ night. Like, _adult_ fun, the type of fun that Prompto had never had and never really wanted to have either. At least like that, not the one-night-stand type adventure. Even when he was drunk, he knew how to push this kind of attention away.

"Oh, look at _this_! ' _We need to talk about your payment, too._ ' Mercury! I didn't know you had it in you!" Yohsuke all but leered, grinning from ear to ear. By then, Prompto was completely red, because he knew what Yohsuke wanted to imply.

"I'm not...! He doesn't think...! Give that back!" He growled and snatched the cardboard piece out of Yohsuke's hands to put it back into his bag. Prompto was upset that Yohsuke would tease him about getting down and dirty with someone else when he couldn't even stand the smell of himself.

"No need to get all defensive," Yohsuke chuckled. "I'm just glad that you've had fun and that you didn't get killed, or worse."

"Yeah, I'm happy for that, too," Prompto sighed, shrugging off his vest to throw it over the back of his couch. "I just hope I don't have to go there again, ever..."

"Hm... Well, you did like the music though," Yohsuke pointed out. "Guess you'll have to go eventually, if you ever want to listen to it again."

"Hm... well, no, because the album will be out soon? So I could just... listen to that. It's just... I'm sure that it's not the same as seeing Monsters of the Deep live. Noct showed me some of the music he's written, but," Prompto said and frowned, collecting his thoughts to explain better how he felt about that. "It was good, but... not the same as hearing the music live? If you know what I mean. The energy was missing... Or just not the same."

"Mhm, I think I know," Yohsuke agreed with a nod. "The music I listen to tickles a certain bone in me, and... it depends on my mood every time. Some work better than others, but nothing like listening to music live and on stage. Especially not if you're as up close as you were there."

"Well, I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks like that," Prompto smiled a little sheepish, before he went to find some clean clothes. "You can stay, but I'll take a shower now. Do _not_ touch anything!"

"You know I won't. And I wouldn't touch that computer of yours, it's an abomination," Yohsuke said in blatant disgust and wrinkled his nose. "I rather work with my hands than digitally."

"Some of us go with the time," Prompto shot back, short of sticking out his tongue in defiance.

"That's not what your computer looks like though," Yohsuke smirked, before he made himself at home on the painter's couch with his tea, taking out his phone to text Bellis, or whoever he was going to text. Probably so that he could tease him later together with them, too.. "Have fun with your shower, if I leave, I'll let you know."

"Do what you like," Prompto sighed before he disappeared into the small bathroom corner at the entrance of his apartment. There was a sink with a large mirror, the toilet separate in an adjacent room and through the other door was the bathroom with a bathtub that took up half of the room, and the part with the shower taking up the other half. He shed the rest of his clothes and threw them in the hamper, put his glasses next to the cup he used for brushing his teeth before he stepped into the bathroom. There, Prompto started a shower and just stood under the water for a few moments, sighing in relief when he felt the water washing away all the sweat and grime. He cleansed himself quickly but thoroughly starting with his hair. He scrubbed the splotches of color out of his blonde hair until it was all soft again and not crusty anymore.Then he scrubbed his face clean, marveling a little how peeling the paint from his skin tickled him. 

It was half of the fun working with acrylics instead of fully digital. Of course, he could just work on his computer, but he liked the feeling of real paint under his fingers, the smell, the thrill of getting color everywhere and then working with what he had. Working on the computer was safer and didn't take up as much space as working on a large canvases. He could basically do it everywhere. But there was no challenge at all, no risk to it because he could just work with thousands of layers and delete which parts he didn't like. It was nothing like having to improvise because the paint didn't get on the canvas the way Prompto had been expecting it. That was when Prompto felt like he could develop his full artistic potential.

Maybe it was the same for Noct Gar when he was on stage. Being in a studio allowed you to tweak the music until it was _perfect_ , but was it... _alive_? Live on stage it was something completely different, and the energy Noct emanated on there, fueled by people watching them, was completely different than a recording. He made mistakes, but then again, Prompto did too when he worked on canvas. Contrary to the singer, Prompto could always cover up his mistake with more paint, whereas Noct's singing would always stand out, even if Nyx covered up for him. People would always notice his mistakes, but as they were not perfect, things became real and relatable. With all the inspiration just four songs had given Prompto, he hoped that he could spark a little more inspiration in the singer.

Along with this thought process came the sudden realization that Prompto was already hooked up on the music of Monsters of the Deep. He had listened to a total of four songs and yet he needed more. Wanted more. Maybe he should ask Noct for a copy of their album so that he could listen to it whenever he wanted to...

Well, after all that he had done for him, a copy of the album was the least that he should get in return, Prompto decided with a huff. He rinsed off at last, shaking off any excess water before he grabbed his towel and dried off the rest. Back in the little room with the sink, he put on fresh underwear, sighing at how _good_ the clean cotton felt on his skin. After two days of wearing the same underwear he had almost forgotten how nice it could be.

"Hey Mercury! Are you done? Your phone's been ringing like mad! Do you want me to take that call and leave a message?" 

Prompto almost jumped out of his skin when Yohsuke called out to him. He must have heard the shower being turned off before he decided to tell Prompto about it. The blond put on a tank top and hurried back into the living room to snatch the phone out of Yohsuke's hands.

"What the heck did you do?" Prompto demanded as he saw that the other had accepted the last of around ten calls. "What the hell," he mumbled, realizing that all of these calls had come from Noct Gar.

"It wouldn't stop ringing, so I accepted one and said you were currently unavailable and if I could relay a message. Guy didn't say anything and just disconnected the line, that was pretty creepy," Yohsuke commented, raising his eyebrows as he watched Prompto through his long bangs where he was sitting comfortably on the couch. "Does he not know you've got his number saved in your contacts and anyone can _see_ who's calling?"

Huffing, Prompto just hit the redial button and glared down at the other. "Not everyone can talk easily on the phone, you know? What did you think, just accepting- Hi!"

Before Prompto could finish his tirade about Yohsuke's lack of tact, Noct had accepted his call, greeting the blond with a simple, "...Yeah?"

"Noct, um, sorry about this. I... I just woke up and got home, Yohsuke came with me, he was worried and just," the blond rambled and walked into the adjacent room with all of his art supplies, pointedly closing the door behind him. "What's up?"

"Who is Yohsuke?" Noct asked curiously with a hint of _something_ in his voice Prompto couldn't quite place, but that made him feel just a little uncomfortable. He could feel the need to explain himself creeping up to the back of his head, as if he was being questioned or something. Not because Noct _said_ it like though..

"He's... a fellow artist. A friend... You must have met him at the gallery, he has this big octopus sculpture right in the middle of the big room," Prompto explained, wrecking his brain about whether or not they had talked about him before. It probably got lost in the round of Kings Knight they had been playing.

"Oh, I see. Sorry that I just hung up on him, I was... surprised," Noct replied sheepishly and Prompto could hear how he scratched the back of his head.

The blond laughed. "I don't know what he told you, but it's all false. Well, except for the fact that I was unavailable because I was taking a shower."

"Yeah, I figured your phone must have died, it always sent me to voicemail at first," Noct replied, and Prompto could _hear_ the smile in his words. Weird. Like he was feeling better just to talk to him. "When it didn't, I hoped you'd hear it and since I didn't know what you were doing, I just... tried again, figuring that you must have been nearby. Couldn't have guessed you had company."

There it was again, that awkward tone as if the singer feared that he had been interrupting something, the one that made Prompto want to explain himself in all kinds of details, even if it should be none of Noct Gar's concern.

"Sorry about that," Prompto managed to say instead, feeling rather proud of himself. "Either way, I'm on the phone now."

"Yeah, that's... great," Noct replied and there was that soft smile again, making Prompto feel all warm and fuzzy. "And, um, I wanted to talk about... the cover. The record company accepted it, they also accepted the booklet, so that's..."

"Great!" Prompto replied, excited that his art would soon be on a record's jacket.

"Yeah, it's great. It's perfect." Noct's voice was tremendously soft and tender and it made Prompto blush as if the man had just praised him directly. "Um, Ig- Our manager offers you about twice as much as I paid for Vanilla Moon, is that okay?"

Prompto blinked, trying to remember the sum he had received for the painting Noct had bought for his friend. It was... a lot, but he wasn't sure if it was enough for all the work and effort he had put into the cover _and_ the booklet. Asking for more would make him seem ungrateful though and Prompto was back to the point where he felt awkward asking for more.

"We... can pay you more, too," Noct spoke into the silence Prompto was reluctant to fill. "I think we could go up to four times as much..."

Prompto's eyes widened in disbelief and he shook his head. "No, no, er, it's fine, I am fine with... with..." He stammered, wanting so much to find a compromise in the middle of both offers. "If I can have a few CDs plus your... your first offer, that'll be fine."

"...Really?" Noct didn't sound like he believed one word that Prompto said.

"Yeah! If you become really famous, these'll surely be worth a ton of money and that'd be an investment for the future for me, right?" The blond said and laughed awkwardly. He wanted nothing more than to hit himself for sounding so stupid.

"Well, sure you can have some. Just tell me how many you want. It's the least we can do for you in return for this," Noct smiled again.

Prompto sighed and slumped his shoulder. Crisis averted. Why was dealing with money so hard? Ugh.

"The album will be released on October 21st, we'll have a party two days before that and I, um, wanted to ask if you'd come as well? It's still a long time, but..."

"I... I'll think about it, okay?" Prompto replied quickly, a little overwhelmed by the sudden invitation. A part of him was thrilled, excited to find out how Noct and his band partied, but mostly he was just terrified of meeting new people and making a fool of himself being drunk. No matter if he had already met these people before, it was always different when their focus wasn't on their job. And if he was really honest with himself, he was scared of Crowe and Gladio and... Well. Everyone. And only the Six knew what their manager was like!

"Okay, cool," Noct commented happily, sounding more like Prompto had just agreed rather than to give himself a polite way out. The blond pulled a face and felt guilty already. "I'll let you know about the details, where and what time and so. Um, say hello to Yohsuke from me, and tell him that I'm sorry, okay?"

"Will do. Tell your manager thanks and... good luck with your album," Prompto smiled before the two of them said their goodbyes and hung up. He huffed a breath and then turned back to open the door to the living room, only to have Yohsuke almost fall through the door that very moment.

"What the... have you been eavesdropping?" the blond demanded before he set his phone to silent and plugged it back in.

"Pffsht, no. I've just been... leaning against the door," Yohsuke said innocently and Prompto rolled his eyes at the obvious lie. "Congratulations on getting paid... What are you going to think about?"

"What the... ugh, it's nothing. None of your business anyway. Plus, I don't want to talk about it... But I'll get you a copy of Monsters of the Deep's album, if you want to."

"Really? Sure, I'd like one," Yohsuke beamed, packing his things. He was obviously done pestering Prompto with his presence and the painter couldn't help but feel a little relief at that. Especially since he was wearing only boxer shorts right then. "Well, it seems like I've done all I could here. Will you come by the gallery later?"

"I just might," Prompto replied as he watched the sculptor gather his things and walk to the door. "First I need some sustenance though."

"Will you manage on your own?" Yohsuke asked, standing in front of the exit.

"When have I not?" Prompto's smile was honest before he saw the other out. "See you around."

"Yeah, see you later. Bye, Mercury!"

Prompto watched the other leave and then went back inside his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will have some timeskip and move a little faster than the last few. At least I hope so... ^^; I've been struggling a little in this chapter to keep the flow moving and I hope I can do better with a change of pace...
> 
> Also within the next chapter: Will Prompto go to Monsters of the Deep's record release party? Stay tuned!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Monsters of the Deep celebrate the publishing of their first album, Mercury is a little more excited for his upcoming vacation in Tenebrae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for bearing with me so far. I know the last chapters haven't been exactly easy and the plot is processing SO SLOWLY, which is why I've been struggling with it a little. As a reward, you will get a chapter that's almost twice as long as the previous ones. It's still a little 'chewy', but I promise the next ones will be a little easier to read. 

Noctis made it his personal duty to see that Mercury received both his money as well as five early press copies of the first album, [ MotD ]. It was also relatively easy to convince Ignis to pay Mercury three times the sum he had paid for _Vanilla Moon_ , which was less than a third of what they had paid for _Tenebraen Delight_. It sure mattered where you bought your artworks these days.

Noctis also made sure to call the artist once every day, chatting about this and that, the plans for the band and everything else in hopes that their bond would deepen. Maybe Mercury could be the missing piece to their band, rounding up everything that was still a little rough at the edges.

Besides, it was fun talking to the blond. They played the same games, liked the same kinds of movies and where they didn't, they could argue about those things for hours. Whenever Noctis was on edge because of a meeting he had attended, or when the talk about his father's waning health and his own possible ascension to the throne seemed to suffocate him, talking to Mercury made him feel like a human being again, even though he had known the man for only one month of his life.

Before he knew it, Noctis had made it his daily routine to call Mercury every morning. Usually the artist would tease him for waking up late and being a lazy rock star, even as Ignis was driving him around from one royal duty to the next, but it wasn't like he could rub that into the artist's face. No, even as Noctis stifled yawn after yawn,being stressed out from charity events, board planning, combat practice and on top of that  band practice as well, he let the artist make fun of him for being a lazy ass. And why not? Ignis didn't chide him as much as he used to when they had just started out with Monsters of the Deep and Noctis knew that his advisor always wished for him to become better. So if someone else told him that he was lazy, maybe it would help Noctis to actually become more diligent  in the end.

Listening to Mercury's thoughts had done wonders to his resolve to become a good king, so he tried to absorb everything the artist said like a sponge.

Sometimes they even met up over a snack here and there when Noctis had a moment of freedom in his schedule. Mercury would doodle things in different notebook every time, little sprites, sometimes words and _nothing_ looked like anything he had done before. Noctis watched him curiously and asked from time to time what he was drawing, just to get a very indefinite answer every time. "This" and "that," and most of the time just things that Mercury found interesting.

His doodles were funny and cute and Noctis found himself laughing more often than not. He carried a few of these scribbles around in his wallet, presents from Mercury that the prince cherished more than their actual worth. It was probably stupid, but hanging out with the artist was almost as fun as being on stage and singing to his heart's content. Over the month they had gotten got to know each other, Noctis had gotten so used to Mercury's company that he couldn't remember how he had ever gotten around without the artist in his life. A life without Mercury seemed dull and bland, and it seemed like the artist was adamant on keeping his promise. The one he had made to become a better artist to make Noctis' life among the waking more interesting than the dreams the prince came up with every night.

As an extra in return for the generous payment that he had gotten for the album cover, Mercury paid Noctis back for a rather expensive lunch invitation to a high-class restaurant in the center of the city with the poster for Monsters of the Deep's record release party. After this party, Monsters of the Deep would go on a mini tour all over Eos, starting in Lestallum, then going to Altissia a few days later and then they would end up in Tenebrae at last. This night would be the last that Noctis could meet up with Mercury and he had hoped so much that they could deepen their slowly growing bond just a little more. Enough so that Noctis could finally tell Mercury who he really was. Maybe he would even learn the artist's real name in return...

However, as it turned out, Noctis had been so high in the clouds that he must have failed to confirm if the artist was actually coming to the party. They had taken selfies in front of the poster near Mercury's favorite record store and he had just _assumed_ that the artist would appear at their party. He was a big part of their work after all. But when the Saturday came around, Noctis found himself situated in their favorite little bar - which had closed down for them for the night - sitting all alone at a table, waiting for Mercury to show up.

No matter how long Noctis nursed his beer, no matter how often he perked up when someone entered the pub, it was never Mercury who would walk through that door.

"Don't look so heartbroken, Noct, I'm sure it's nothing personal," Ignis said softly as he slipped into a seat next to the prince. He had just returned from a trip to the counter to make sure that the bartender would be sufficiently compensated for this party.

"I... I just don't understand? I thought we were friends! Why is he... why won't he come?" Noctis asked, worrying his lower lip, the left side of his mouth lifting slightly as he looked up at his advisor with glassy eyes.

Ignis, who was very much used to the fact that Noctis would become rather emotional in proportion to his intake of alcohol, just sighed and smiled sympathetically. "You have known him only for a month... And from what you have told me, he is rather shy and skittish around new people. Also, it seems like he does not really fancy being in the spotlight himself, so I'm sure that he would be more inclined to attend a more private party."

Noctis pushed his lip out more, only intensifying his pout. " _This_ is pretty much the most private thing we could do! It's just you, Gladio, Nyx, Libertus, Crowe, Luche, the guys from the record label, the guys from the bar and the guys who help us out on tour!"

"Noctis, this is a bunch of big, strong men and women who look pretty scary. And it's their job because they're half of the Kingsglaive. Boy looked pretty scrawny, I wouldn't hold it against him if he's just scared," Gladio tried to reason with the prince, watching the golden liquid of his whiskey as he twirled it in his glass.

"So _what_? Maybe I wanted to tell him everything! I want us to become even better friends! I want to be... best friends!" Noctis whined at his shield and rested his head on his advisor's shoulder. "He didn't even say a word that he wasn't going to come when I called him this morning..."

"Maybe he just forgot?" Nyx joined in, obviously irritated at the round of arm wrestling on the table nearby. So far, Crowe had beat them all, cheered on loudly by Libertus.

"Dude, he designed the poster for this," Noctis growled at the man, leaning heavily over the table now.

"But there's no date on it, is it?" Nyx pointed out with a matter-of-fact smirk as he lifted his glass of dark beer to his lips, leaning back nonchalantly. "Also, as far as I remember that poster, it's for the record release, but _not_ for the party."

The prince took a moment to process this new information, obviously trying to recall what the poster actually read. It was dark blue, with their new logo and the album title right in the middle, looking like the angler fish was trapped in a cavern in the deep sea. They all had liked it, and Noctis had even secured himself an unused print that he would have hung up in his bedroom, if not for the fact that a _poster_ would look terribly out of place in his rooms in the Citadel. Lately, he had even been entertaining the idea to get himself a small apartment somewhere in the city, so that Mercury could visit him without giving away his real identity. Also, he thought it would be a good idea to be closer to the people whose king he was supposed to be one day. Get to know them better, their daily lives, their fears, their worries. Of course, it also meant that he would be able to plaster his walls with posters and live his life to the fullest, but that was an entirely different motivation.

"...I hate you," Noctis pouted and crossed his arms over his chest defiantly as his lip quirked downwards again.

"You say that now, but that's totally not what you said last time," Nyx grinned, leaning over the table to wiggle his eyebrows at the prince. "Too bad that you don't remember much anymore."

Gladio only snorted into his whiskey glass, as Noctis turned bright red. He could only _vaguely_ remember that he had been hanging off Nyx' shoulder last time and that he had been going on about how much he loved the man's songs, how he envied his abilities to write songs, play an instrument and how happy he was that Nyx had agreed to be in a band with him.

And that had been the nice version. The one that Nyx kept telling wasn't quite as work-safe as Ignis' summary of the events for the prince after that last party. Well, at least he had his oldest friend to keep an eye on him in those kinds of situations where he didn't have control over himself anymore. He just hoped that he wouldn't always have such bad hangovers that he couldn't remember anything anymore.

"The kid was pretty shy last time I saw him, I'm sure he's just scared. 'Sides, maybe he doesn't like meeting new people?" Nyx reasoned as he ordered another beer. In the background, Crowe beat another burly man, who protested loudly and screamed that she must have been cheating.

"Remember, you don't like large gatherings of people you don't know well either," Ignis reminded the prince gently.

Noctis just sighed and wished that he hadn't just heard Crowe challenging the man to a duel outside. "Yeah, but it's not like I can just stay at home, can I? I'm the fucking prince, I _have_ to meet all these people I don't like."

"But Mercury is _not_. He has the freedom to choose with whom he meets up," Ignis said pointedly, before he continued in a much softer tone. "Give him time. You've been putting a lot of pressure on him. If he wants to be friends with you, he will come to you, I am sure."

"Yeah, it's about time the kid found some friends _his_ age. Everyone he knows is at least three years younger or older than him," Nyx huffed and took a long sip of the beer he had just been served. Ignis shot him a look, knowing exactly what the glaive meant, but he wished the man could have been a bit more tactful about it.

"Older and definitely more adult than I. Even the big guy's little sister has a better grip on her own life than I do," Noctis huffed in annoyance, taking out his phone before he rested his chin on his arms, thumbing through the messages Mercury had sent him recently. He could read absolutely no anxiety or fear of meeting new people into them, nor could he find any kind of animosity in the friendly affection the artist expressed through his texts. Noctis even tried to convince himself that he was reading too much into his words, that he was interpreting them in his favour. That he was imagining the same affection in those words he was feeling for the artist when he had absolutely no reason to assume that it was there. But even then he found nothing that lead him to think that Mercury had not meant to arrive at this record release party.

He could have said at least something...

As Noctis continued to pout on what was supposed to be the happiest day in his life, Crowe returned from the outside as the smiling winner of her challenge. The bulky man returned with a running nose and was nursed back to life by Libertus with a large stein of beer.

* * *

Of course, Prompto felt bad for skipping out on the record release party. He had made sure time and time again that he would give no definite answer, no direct confirmation or rejection, because he didn't know if he ever felt like actually going. Sure, he knew that it was unfair towards Noct who was looking forward so much to this event and wanted him to be there so badly, but no matter how much they talked about their hobbies and preferences and everything during their daily phone calls, Prompto still kept in mind that Noct Gar was first and foremost a customer. And with that, he was almost on the same level as Yohsuke, whom he considered the closest thing he had ever had to a friend, but still a friend from work. And friends from work weren't the ones you could spend your time with 24/7, as opposed to the type of friend that Prompto wanted to have.

However, when the day of the party came, Prompto didn't even have to think of a flimsy excuse because it was the day that Bellis' exhibition ended and everybody was there to say goodbye and to help packing up. Prompto had completely forgotten the date already and while he had thought that there would be a company doing the tidying up, it seemed like everyone preferred to do it themselves, so Prompto came and did the same thing.

On the Saturday when Noct had invited him to the party, Prompto attended the last party at the exhibition, where everybody summarized their success and experiences with this exhibition and as soon as the front doors were locked, everyone started to gather their artworks.

While Prompto had it relatively easy with his canvases, Yohsuke needed quite some help, just as much as the other sculptor in the exhibition. Bellis helped where she could, directing everyone to store their artworks at her storage room if they didn't have somewhere to store them on their own. Yohsuke's octopus ended up there as well, but only because Bellis liked it so much that she wanted to keep it for herself.

It was well after midnight when Prompto finally made it home and tumbled onto his couch and fell into a deep slumber.

~*~

Noct didn't call him the following day and Prompto couldn't help but understand. He wasn't angry, but he was sure that the singer probably was. To ease his conscience, Prompto wrote him a quick message as he started his morning run, telling him about the end of the exhibition. Noct _had_ bought _Moon over Insomnia_ and added to the fact that Prompto could spend a little more money for his upcoming vacation. However, the receipt for the purchase had come with a message, one that said he could buy himself a nice, new computer with this, if he wanted to.

If Prompto was quite honest, it had felt like a slap to the face. He loved his computer, it was perfectly fine and did exactly what it was supposed to do. It _may_ be a little slow, but Prompto had absolutely no problem with that.

Besides, _if_ he got himself what Noct had called a 'Big Mac' then he would need to relearn how to do everything, make sure that the driver of his drawing tablet worked with that new computer, and that the program he worked with was also running on that new computer. Getting a license for that program would be rather expensive, too, after he had been working on that ancient version which he had been able to download for free.

Prompto really couldn't understand why everyone wanted to make him get a new computer when he was perfectly happy with the one he had. Never change a winning team and this team was him and his tried and tested computer setup, no matter how old-fashioned it was.

Still, he made a mental note not to spend the amount of money he would need for that kind of new setup during his vacation. But for now, he decided not to worry about other people making decisions for him. No, he made sure that his camera was in top condition, cleaned and with all additional batteries ready and charged. Prompto even bought a new, faster memory card for his camera and grinned brightly for three days as he realized that he could take pictures a lot faster now.

He packed another bag with a few clothes to change after he had checked the weather in Tenebrae. He didn't need much, just some fresh underwear and shirts to change, but since he was bringing his backpack full of equipment for his camera and computer, he had absolutely no space for clothes. It was no doubt ridiculous to see him walking at the airport situated a little off the coast of Insomnia with a giant backpack and just a small bag for his clothes and toiletries. He didn't trust the cargo service with his devices anyway and since he was allowed only one carry-on bag, he always chose to check-in the bag with his clothes. Those could easily be replaced, but his equipment was the bane of his existence. Without it, he would simply be unemployed, so he held onto everything in his backpack for his dear life.

The flight to Tenebrae was smooth and without problems, the food was okay as well and Prompto managed to watch one long movie that he had missed in theaters before and had started a second one, but didn't get very far. He made a mental note of that one and another he also wanted to watch on his flight back and felt delighted when he realized that he wouldn't get bored then either.

As soon as he left the plane in Tenebrae, he was immediately overwhelmed by how different everything smelled. Sure, he could make out the scent of fuel and exhaust gas emissions, but underneath was also the smell of... nature. As Prompto walked towards the baggage claim area he kept sniffing and tried to identify the different aromas around him. 'Nature' came closest to what he smelled, but there was also food, something sweet, something savory, but finer than what you could get in a big city like Insomnia. He licked his lips and realized that despite the small snack that he had had on the plane, he was terribly hungry. Maybe after he had checked into the hotel he could find a nice place to eat. But he also wanted to go out and take pictures of the woods nearby.

Decisions, decisions.

The airport of Tenebrae was much smaller than the one in Insomnia, just one rather small terminal where just a handful of planes could land and thus going through passport control and immigration was rather smooth. Prompto could see posters welcoming Tenebrae's guests with images of the country's sights everywhere, advertising all the spots that Prompto wanted to see with amazing photographs and he was excited to take his own pictures, too.

The artist collected his clothes bag and made his way to the taxi corner, telling the driver the name and address of the hotel he had booked. The man sized him up, then asked, "You all alone, boy?" as he drove down the street leaving the airport. Tenebrae's airport was also located close to the ocean, on a small island that was half natural, half artificial to make the runway a little longer. The airport terminal was connected to the land via a long bridge.

"Yes, sir," Prompto replied cheerfully, making the man chuckle.

"Just asking ‘cuz usually couples come here for a romantic getaway... Guess that's not why you're here, huh?" the taxi driver deduced as he turned a corner very smoothly to get on the road towards the long bridge and Prompto sighed in relief. The taxi drivers in Insomnia were a lot more reckless in their driving.

"No, sir," Prompto gave back, still beaming as he turned to look out of the windows to see the scenery pass by. He wanted to take pictures of the ocean spanning out in front of him, but he didn't know if the car wasn't going too fast for his camera. Nevertheless, he wrestled with his backpack to get his camera out.

"...you're here to take pictures?" The driver asked as he watched Prompto curiously through the rearview mirror.

"Yes, sir," Prompto replied, almost jumping in his seat with excitement. "Been waiting all my life to come here."

"Heh... You're damn right boy, Tenebrae is pretty. Maybe a little old-fashioned, but it's got style, right?"

"Right, sir," Prompto agreed, adjusting the focus in the viewfinder. A moment later he pressed the shutter-release button and the camera gave a few mechanic clicks before Prompto lifted his finger again. He lowered the camera and checked the picture he had just taken, beaming down at the marvelous dark blue of the ocean under the light blue of the sky, which was painted with little wisps of clouds. On the right hand side of the picture he could see the green of of the mountains building up to unbelievable heights in the center of Tenebrae, where the castle of the royal family stood. It was a little in the distance, but easy to reach from his hotel and Prompto had planned to visit the city the following day. Today, he wanted to explore the hotel and its surroundings.

He lifted the camera again to take more pictures of the coast, a little disappointed that there were no beaches at all. Just tall mountains growing out of the ocean as if the water was nothing.

"Sir, are there any beaches in Tenebrae? Just curious," Prompto asked then, focusing on a bird in the distance that was floating over the ocean, obviously trying to catch a fish.

"You came here to swim? Good luck with that, boy!" Prompto's driver snorted. "All you'll find here is rocks and more rocks. And one step into the water you'll fall for ages, these waters are bottomless."

"Really? Wow, I didn't know that! Good thing I can't swim then, huh? I wouldn't dare going near the waters in fear of my life," Prompto joked. He wasn't particularly afraid of the water, but he didn't want to risk drowning by going anywhere near the bottomless depths of slow death.

The taxi driver laughed and slapped the steering wheel. "Good one, boy! What do you do for a living?"

"I'm an artist. I take pictures and paint, sir," Prompto grinned and gave the man a mock salute through the rearview mirror.

"Oh, an artist? What's your name boy, are you anyone famous? I may not look like it, but I'm pretty interested in modern art," the taxi driver said, lifting his chin a little.

"Um... I go by Mercury, sometimes people misread it as Mr. Cry though," Prompto replied sheepishly, feeling heat go up the back of his neck in embarrassment.

"Oh! You're _that_ Mercury? The one who painted this beautiful portrait of Lady Luna as Shiva? I saw the TV feature of the generous gift after the last episode of _Game of Gods_ ," the taxi driver asked, his eyes widening with what Prompto identified as surprise. The blond fidgeted unable to feel a little uncomfortable with the kind of awe that was suddenly directed at him.

"Yeah... Yeah, that was me." Prompto’s  carefree smile turned into a nervous one, because he still didn't know how to handle the fame that he started to gather. He had managed to finish all six paintings of the Gods of Eos in the last month and sold them to the studio that produced _Game of Gods_ just two weeks ago. They were so stunned by his artwork that they had asked him if it was okay to broadcast his art. Prompto had agreed only reluctantly, because he had been afraid that people would recognize him on the streets afterwards.

It turned out that he had been right about that. Before this feature on TV he had been able to ignore the looks, the questions and the attention that he attracted, but ever since last week, when the short documentary had been on TV,  it was getting harder and harder for him to live his life as unnoticed as he had liked it. There were just too many people in Insomnia who knew what kind of art he was making. Thankfully, this hadn't travelled far enough to Tenebrae yet. Seemed like the sunglasses he had worn in the short interview had done its job.

"That's an interesting style you got there! Photographs painted over? Sounds cheap, but you make it work! I wish I was as creative as you!" the taxi driver said as they advanced deeper into land, mountains covered in forests starting to come up left and right.

"Yeah, I just... that's what I do," Prompto replied with a nervous chuckle. A few years ago, he might have started to explain exactly what he was doing, going into great detail about his motivation. Nowadays he knew that he didn't have to defend his way of working, but it had taken him a long time to learn this. Thankfully though, the studio respected his wishes and he didn't have to answer too many questions about how he worked. He was sure he would have fallen back into his old behavior and rambled on for hours. Five minutes would never have been enough for all that was on his mind.

"It's amazing boy... My daughter told me you also did the cover for the first album of her favorite band, what was their name? Something with daemons..."

"Um... Monsters of the Deep?" Prompto supplied although he felt like his stomach was churning already. That wasn't anything he really wanted to be reminded of, at least not right then.

"Yes! Them! My girl says the singer sounds like the Lucian prince, but what do I know? I'm more a fan of Lady Luna's music." The taxi driver proceeded to play around on the radio of his car, until he had found the right button for his CD player. A few moments later, gentle pop music sounded through the car and Prompto could instantly recognize Lunafreya's gentle voice. He realized that he had only ever listened to her music at various malls and shopping centers, some soft music in the background. Surprisingly enough, when the driver skipped a few songs to get to a specific one, Prompto realized that he knew each and every one of her songs almost by heart. He half-listened to the man's rant, only perking up when the taxi driver asked him another question.

"Will you be at their concert tomorrow?"

Prompto blinked, because he thought that he had heard that wrong. "Excuse me?"

"At the concert! My little girl's been excited for _weeks_ and begged me to buy her tickets for the concert," the taxi driver elaborated, looking back at Prompto through the rearview mirror. "I didn't want to let her go, but it was either that or have her go to a big gig in Insomnia and I thought it'd be much nicer for her to go at home. 'Sides, the venue isn't all too big and not too many people know this band, so I'm pretty confident she'll have lotsa fun."

"Um, no, I wasn't planning to," Prompto stated with confusion. He couldn't even recall that Noct had mentioned anything about going on tour.

"Too bad... My girl liked what you did with that cover. Oh, and the poster. Any chance I can get an autograph?" the taxi driver asked and as Prompto just blinked wide-eyed at him, he laughed and added. "If you add in a few lines I won't even charge you for this drive."

"Um... how about a sketch?" Prompto asked, although it felt rather weird to pay like this. Didn't this man need funds to pay for gas and such things?

"Sure! Her name's Stella. D'you need a piece of paper? I must have some... here..."

"It's fine! I have this sketchbook," Prompto replied as the man started digging through the glove compartment, making the car sway a little as he couldn't pay as much attention to the road as before. Frankly, it scared Prompto a little and that was one of the reasons for him to take out his sketchbook and look for something he could use.

After a few moments, Prompto found a page that was mostly empty except for a tiny octopus with short arms and a pout, one that he remembered showing Noct in regard to the night they had spent together. He remembered that the singer had blushed and turned away, but he had laughed as well, and scribbled a little note under it. Now it looked like the octopus was saying "I will hug you! D<" and so Prompto just scribbled his signature next to it "For Stella". He wondered if that was really enough to pay for a long taxi ride that was easily worth a lot more than a few pencil lines and an autograph of a stupid young artist.

But the taxi driver accepted it easily, shook Prompto's hand in thanks, wished him a pleasant stay and handed him a card with his number to call him if he ever needed another ride. Prompto thanked him, adding that he wished Stella lots of fun at the Monsters of the Deep concert and that he would think about going himself as well. He waved the man off and then went into the hotel to check in, passing by a handful off girls that looked like they were waiting for something. It could only have been a taxi, but didn't they board the one Prompto had just exited? Well, whatever it was, it wasn't Prompto's problem.

The hotel itself looked rather old, but well-kept. It had dark wooden ornaments which were traditional ? everywhere in Tenebrae. They looked like branches of trees and could have very well been some, if not for the way large windows to shield from the cold and wind and rain. The floors were made of hardwood itself, covered here and there in artful carpets. Indirect light where the light from outside couldn't reach gave the entrance area a homely atmosphere, designed specifically to make you feel comfortable from the very moment you stepped inside. This hotel knew that they would be a big part of their guest's vacation and were very adamant on making the stay worthwhile.

Prompto saw plush sofas near large windows looking out over a vast, green valley with a river winding its way around at the very bottom. An old man sat there, reading a newspaper, obviously waiting on his wife to meet up with him. The blond smiled at the scenery before he walked up to the reception to give his name and inform the staff that he had a reservation.

The person at the reception was nice, but that was to be expected, it was their job after all to make their guests feel comfortable. Prompto received a brief introduction to the different areas of the hotel, was told where the public baths were and that he could ask for a massage there as well. They also asked him when he wanted to have dinner, giving him a time frame to choose a slot from and Prompto decided on the latest slot possible so that the could go out to take pictures until it was too dark for that anyway.

After being handed his keys, a frail looking woman took his luggage and carried it for him to the nearby elevator, no matter how much he tried to take it from her. Around the corner was a shop for souvenirs and Prompto wondered what he could bring as souvenirs for Yohsuke and Quercus, but he somehow doubted that he could find anything for their special tastes in a hotel souvenir shop. He huffed a breath as he followed the woman who ushered him into the elevator and led him to his room, where he was made to take off his shoes at the entrance. One step up and through the entrance area, he entered the bedroom with a plush carpet that hugged Prompto's feet warmly, making him shudder. The woman went on to give him a small tour of his room which looked like it had been built to house two people and was thus too large for one person alone.

The walls were painted with floral ornaments that seemed to grow out of the wooden beams onto the green wallpapers, a large bed stood to the right of the room, facing the left where a small table with two chairs stood. Behind both of that, right in front of the entrance, was a small alcove with two plush chairs on both sides of a coffee table, as well as a small fridge hidden in a cupboard with an electric kettle, glasses and cups on top of it. There was also a small TV set obviously for those who couldn't appreciate the magnificent view through the windows.

The room looked over the same valley as the lobby, and Prompto had to hold back running over there to press his nose against the windows. He nodded to everything the woman explained to him and then said goodbye to her at the door which she closed and finally left him to his own devices.

As soon as the door was closed, Prompto all but ran to the windows and looked outside, marveling in the lush green of the woods, the winded little river down below and all the rocks and nature everywhere. He didn't know when he had ever seen that much nature in one place and he sighed happily.

Coming to Tenebrae really _was_ a dream come true. He was so happy just _being_ here that he almost didn't want to leave again.

But first things first.

Prompto repacked his things, taking only his camera and the fish-eye lense with him. He refilled his bottle with water and then set out to take a look around. Back at the reception he saw a sign that they rented out bikes and after Prompto got himself one, he happily made his way past the same girls as before, down the street the taxi had come from earlier, much faster than he would have been on foot. He made his way to the nearest town, apparently one of the oldest in all of Tenebrae. It was said to be over 2000 years old and Prompto expected that he could take some breathtaking pictures.

He had, however, not counted on the fact that the hills and mountains around this place were quite the obstacle to overcome on a bike. Even with the aid from the small motor of his rented bike it was quite the workout and if Prompto hadn't stopped every now and then on his way to take more pictures of the scenery, he would have been entirely exhausted before his vacation had even started.

The reward was worth everything though. The little town was beautiful and the smell of food was even more intense there. Prompto couldn't wait to taste everything and one of the first things he tried was a grilled skewer with various vegetables. Thanks to the sauce on it, it was absolutely delicious and he asked the booth owner if he could take some pictures after he had told him how much he loved the skewer.

Prompto ventured further, finding little temples and shrines for various gods and messengers of the gods. He had never been very religious, but to know that some parts of this place had been untouched for millennia and still looked as great as it had then. It might be his imagination, but Prompto felt some kind of connection with his own spirituality there and it was a truly mind-opening experience.

He bought a few talisman against bad luck and for good health, for commercial success and smiled at the shrine maiden who handed him these things. The girl blushed and nodded and he blushed in return, but smiled back before he all but fled from the place.

Back on the bike, he took a long detour through the valley below the hotel and when he finally returned, he had taken so many pictures that his new memory card was already half full. He was hungry and cold and decided that a bath would be a good idea before dinner. It was still an hour and a half until then anyway, enough time for a long and relaxing soak.

He grabbed fresh underwear and one of the cotton robes that everyone seemed to wear inside of the hotel, along with a little bag someone from -the staff  must have prepared for him on the table in the bedroom. Quickly, he took off all his clothes and threw them on the bed before he put on the robe and secured it tightly with the provided belt to make sure that no one would see what they shouldn't be seeing and then made his way downstairs to the public bath. These places existed in smaller form in Insomnia as well, and Prompto remembered going there with his caretaker when he was little and they didn't have their own bathroom. He remembered having a robe with chocobos that he loved, but it had gotten lost during the time after his caretaker had died.

Still, he liked soaking in those baths. He didn't do it anymore in Insomnia, but Tenebrae was famous for their hot springs, so how could he pass up the opportunity? But before he did, he covered up the tattoo mark on his right arm so that people wouldn't look at him funnily.

Thanks to the fact that it was still off season, the bath was rather empty and Prompto was able to shower without feeling like someone was looking too closely at him. He read the instructions how to use the bath diligently and learned that there is a natural spring below the hotel that was also a source for the river down in the valley. The water's minerals were supposed to help heal wounds and cleanse the mind of any bad thoughts. While Prompto thought that was just superstition, he couldn't help but relax once he finally waded into the shallow water of the large tub to sit down and soak. He hadn't seen much after undressing and stepping into the showers because he had left his glasses with his clothes in a basket in the changing area.

The water was almost scalding hot, but it was exactly what the painter needed after a long tour on a bicycle. He hoped that his muscles wouldn't be too sore the following day, there was still all of the crown city to explore. This little place was a pilgrimage site and every year the current Oracle would offer her blessings to whoever requested, so there were old places with great stories everywhere. He had taken so many pictures and now he couldn't wait to see the capital and its old places, hoping to see and learn even more wondrous things about the old religion of Eos.

Dinner was an experience for itself. Prompto was served many courses of marvelous food and he couldn't wait to get the same kinds of things the following day, on his own 24th birthday. He did, however, make a mental note not to eat so much throughout the day so that he could cherish the food more.

He went to bed, all cocooned up in plush covers and dreamt of trees of green, blue sylleblossoms, blue skies and white clouds and rainbows and how he was able to paint all of that into a giant, multi-colored picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you smell it? If this were an anime, we'd be right in the middle of an hot springs episode! 


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Prompto's birthday! :D And his second day on vacation in Tenebrae. What will happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ONSEN EPISODE! Or is it? Maybe? :D

Prompto started the next day early, stretched and went for a run in the crisp autumn air of Tenebrae. The forest around the hotel was even nicer in the early hours of the day, the morning fog just lifting, its remnants still low down in valley where Prompto headed to run a few kilometers along the river. Birds were singing songs that Prompto was able to hear through his headphones and it felt so good to be breathing freely again. He returned to the hotel an hour later, sweaty and exhausted, but happy. He could also feel how his muscles started to be sore from yesterday's exercise, but that was a pain that he needed to power through. It was his birthday, no use to keep sitting in his hotel room all day when it was his only chance to explore the sights of the crown city of Tenebrae.

After a quick shower in his own bathroom that was somehow less pleasant than the one in the big public bath, Prompto went downstairs to get some breakfast, deciding that he should have his fill and hope that it lasted until dinner. 

The numbers of seniors seemed to have doubled, sitting at round tables all over the dining room. It was still early, but it looked like they were about to leave, already wearing normal clothes. Prompto blinked, his eyes roaming over a few couples at other smaller tables, still in the robes from the hotel like him, until he found an empty table and went to put his key down on it to mark it as occupied. Then he skipped over to explore the buffet.

Long tables carried a vast collection of sweets and treats, pastries of the kind that Prompto had drawn and sold to the Royal Court and to balance that out, there was also a big collection of fruits and salads. In a corner, Prompto could see a collection of buns and breads and he had absolutely no idea where to start from. He only knew that Noct would have loved the choice of pastries. Whenever they met for breakfast, the singer prove to prefer sweets for breakfast instead of something of healthier nutrition.

As his thoughts wandered back to Noct, Prompto's guilty conscience returned and he felt once more bad for not telling the singer straight on that he had never planned on coming to his band's party. And ever since the party last week, Noct hadn't so much as called or written him. All of this piled up on top of the remorse Prompto felt and every day he worried a little more that Noct might hate him now.

He didn't want to be hated. Not by someone who he had known only for a month. Heck, they could hardly even be described as friends, but it still worried Prompto that he might have hurt Noct more than he could bear. It had been nice talking to him, his daily phone calls had become something that he had missed during the past few days. Prompto couldn't help but wonder what the other was doing right now or if he had already forgotten about him...

The blond took out his phone, staring at the notifications of his game that wanted to entice him to come back, but he ignored it. Instead he watched a minute pass by before he pocketed the phone again and started piling food onto a plate. One pastry with strawberries, a croissant, a bun with butter and some sausages, eggs and bacon, everything that he hoped would keep him full for a while and give him enough energy throughout the day. He took out his phone again and started tapping away to keep up with his missions in King's Knight to calm down and distract himself before he would start writing Noct to apologize for his absence after all.

He finished his food and went back to get some fruits before he drafted a lengthy apology, about how he had been called at the very last possible moment to help out with tidying up the exhibition with his artist colleagues and friends. How he was terribly sorry that he had missed it. Maybe he could also write that he had been scared to meet with more new people than he was comfortable with. The truth was always the easiest way and even as Prompto usually was hard-pressed to reveal too much about himself, it was no less than what Noct deserved to hear from him.

So, he deleted the lengthy explanation, the subterfuges, and just wrote a few lines on his way back the elevator. He pressed the button to go upwards and stared at the lines before he hit send.

MRCRY: _[ Sorry for ditching out last week, I was scared. You've got all rights in the world to never want to talk to me again, but do you want to meet up sometime next week? I'm in Tenebrae today for my birthday.]_

Prompto stared at the little symbol that showed that his message had been sent, but not read yet. The elevator dinged and he looked up to see the doors opening, slowly revealing that there was someone inside.

"Noct!" he gasped, staring wide-eyed at the man who had just frozen mid-yawn, gaping back just as comically at the blond. He also wore the hotel's robe, black hair sticking up in all kinds of directions.

"Mercury?" the young man asked, rubbing his eyes to make sure that he wasn't still dreaming or anything. He stepped forward and out of the elevator so that other guests could use it, gently pushing a very confused Prompto back towards the cozy sofas in the lobby with his hand warm on the small of the blond's back.

"Um... yeah. What... what are _you_ doing here? And... and this _early_?" Prompto demanded, dumbfounded.

"...Tour," was Noct's short reply as he ran a hand through his hair before he let himself fall ungracefully onto one of the sofas. "Arrived late last night, almost too late to check-in."

"Oh," Prompto's entire eloquence came up with. It had probably been hours after he had fallen asleep and from how Noct looked, the night had been very short for him. "Um... E-either way, it's nice to see you..."

Noct just grumbled something tired in reply and buried his face in his hands to rub his eyes.

"I," Prompto started again, fidgeting where he sat, "I'm sorry about... about last week..."

Once again, Noct grunted and the blond wondered if any of his words would even make a difference. The man was obviously not yet awake enough to hold a conversation, but it seemed as if he wanted to chew him out for being such an asshole. At least Prompto would understand if he were about to.

"I... you see... I was scared? I don't... I'm not good with people-" Prompto went on, but shut up when Noct suddenly lifted one of his hands. The blond  straightened his back and waited for the other to gather up enough energy to start yelling at him.

Just that the outburst never came.

"...It's your birthday today, right?" Noct asked instead, stormy blue eyes lifting up slowly to focus on the blond. The circles under the singers eyes were dark and looked horrible, as if he hadn't been sleeping well for days.

"Uh... yeah?" Prompto replied, his cheeks heating up.

Noct managed a sleepy smile, and Prompto's heart missed a beat before the other suddenly said, "Happy birthday. Glad I could tell you in person."

Rendered speechless, Prompto just stared at the other man, his mouth hanging open. All the worry, all the fear that he might be hated and rejected suddenly turned into nothing and while Prompto knew that he had to apologize properly nonetheless, he was happy to see that Noct still talked to him after all that.

"Yeah, me too," the blond smiled and swore that Noct's smile grew just a notch as well. "I've already had breakfast, but I can sit and... drink a coffee with you?"

"Mhm, that would be nice... Iggy and Gladio should be somewhere in there as well," Noct yawned, rubbing his eyes again before he pushed himself up.

"Iggy?" Prompto parroted with a curious tilt of his head, getting up as well to follow the other to the breakfast room. "Who is that?"

"Uh, that's... our manager?" Noct replied, and looked somehow like a kid caught with a hand in the cookie jar as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked to the side. Prompto had no idea why, because they had already talked about his manager and he sounded like a good person, someone that he would definitely like. People who had rules and liked to stick to them were certainly some of his favorites. And since he knew how to cook and preferred to make healthy things, this manager had immediately turned into one of Prompto's favorite people.

"Oh, okay. My taxi driver's daughter was a big fan, she's gonna come to your concert tonight," Prompto added, making as much small talk as he dared, hoping that it would help Noct to wake up. Light stuff, simple words, anything that came to his mind.

"Huh, really? Man, I hope she isn't one of those camping outside..." Noct yawned, making a beeline for the machine that served hot beverages, helping himself to some hot chocolate. 

Prompto opted for a glass of water instead as he looked around to see if he recognized any of the other faces. Noct had said Gladio was supposed to be there. How hard could it be to spot a giant man covered in a full body tattoo?

"Ah, there's Gladio," Prompto said and started into that direction. Next to the big guy sat a man with glasses and hair hanging in his face immaculately. He looked exactly like someone who was in full control of his life and who had no problems at all. The fact that he also wore glasses was rather comforting as well.

"Ah, no," Noct said and grabbed Prompto's upper arm to pull him over to another table, close to the one where Prompto had just gotten up from. 

"What...?" the blond asked, blinking at the other man in surprise.

"Nothing. It's just... _way too early_ for mom and dad," Noct elaborated and sat down with a huff. Prompto kept shooting him a puzzled look until the other noticed and sighed loudly. "Look... I can explain. But I need a little more time, okay?"

"Um... yeah? I mean, I know you're not a morning person," Prompto nodded, watching the other nurse his hot chocolate as if it was coffee. The man even threw him a grateful look and Prompto smiled back. "How about I get you something to eat? I think they have your favorite treats here."

"That... that would be awesome. Really," Noct says, throwing him a look of a man who was going to be rescued after spending too long on a lonely island, with the prospect of getting real food after almost being starved to death. Prompto snorted, knowing that look just too well from his student times and got up.

"Thanks, Mercury, you're a lifesaver," Noct said and smiled up at him over the cup of his hot chocolate.

"It's nothing," Prompto said and went to get a place with three different types of Tenebraen pastries. He shot a look over to the two guys Noct had called Iggy and Gladio to make sure that they were still there. 

They were, but luckily, they didn't look up, nor did they seem to have spotted him or the singer. Prompto placed the plate in front of Noct and slid back into his seat. He watched as the other's eyes widened and Noct reached out slowly to take one of those and have a bite. 

"...Why are you laughing?" 

"You look just like a sloth this early in the morning. Are you always like this? Man, I thought you were more asleep than awake then, but I see that I was _so wrong_ now!" 

Noct grumbled something unintelligible and blushed as he looked away, but kept munching on the first treat.

"You really like those things, huh? Need a lot of sugar to kick start you in the morning, huh?" Prompto asked while he watched the other curiously.

"...It gets worse the less I sleep," Noct murmured as he licked crumbs off his fingers. Then he frowned and straightened up a little, looking at Prompto with what the blond would describe as a glare.

He jerked, expecting that the outburst would happen after all, but Noct just looked at him intensely with his fatigue still around the corners of his eyes before he sighed dramatically.

" _Man_ , it's _your_ birthday and here you are, getting _me_ treats," the singer lamented, blinking to look back at the blond apologetically, silently asking for forgiveness.

"It's okay!" Prompto laughed. "You're not awake and I've been up for hours. It's the least I can do, you know? Besides, I ditched you and your band last Saturday, so see this... as a peace offering?"

Noct frowned a little, his finely groomed eyebrows wrinkling up as he drew them together. "Nah, it's okay. You said you were scared and I... I can understand that." He nodded towards his manager and bodyguard. "Same reason I don't wanna be with them right now. But... I wanna do something for you in return... Like, today is pretty tightly packed for me, but can I invite you for dinner?"

"Don't you have a concert to be at?" Prompto asked, tilting his head with a frown of his own.

"...Yeah," Noct sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Okay. If I had known you were here, I'd've prepared something, I swear. And... it's gonna be pretty lame if I just invite you to the concert tonight because it's something that I'd've been doing anyway."

"But that's okay? I-I mean, if I had known you were here I'd've probably planned my day differently, too," Prompto said quickly. "I'm just here to take pictures and since the weather has been great since yesterday, that's the greatest present of all."

"...But it's nothing that _I_ have done," Noct pouted and Prompto was rendered speechless.

"...That... that's all I wanted for my birthday," he admitted sheepishly, although he felt bad that his wishes weren't bigger or more substantial, things that could be bought with money. He used to have big wishes, but since he grew up with only very little, it was very easy for him to get all the he needed. Prompto knew that it was frustrating for everyone else, and sometimes even for himself when he had to tell someone what he wanted, but he was happy with what he had.

All these frustrations were bright on Noct's face, who had just known him for a little more than a month. Prompto started to have a guilty conscience about that and tried to relent.

"Ah, um, I'll _try_ coming to your concert? I-I mean, I have this awesome dinner reservation here late-"

"We got that, too," Noct interrupted. "Iggy took the latest possible time slot and said that we might be late either way, but they said it wasn't a problem because... Well. We're quite a few people. I think Iggy also promised to give them a generous tip or something for that. We... don't want to be too late."

"Oh. Okay?" Prompto said and felt like he was missing something. "Wait, when does the concert start?"

"Um, six-ish, I think," Noct replied, frowning in thought. "That's when the others started. Should be finished by seven."

"Really? That's... kind of quick," the blond noted, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Mhm, well. We only got a handful of songs, an hour is enough. 'Sides. Even though we work out, we still need to built up that kind of stamina," Noct agreed as he reached out for the second pastry. "Dunno why that is, but I never expected it to be so tedious."

"Yeah, I noticed you were-" Prompto started, but bit his lip. His eyes widened in shock and he stared at Noct who could probably guess that he had almost said something personal and probably offensive. It wasn't like he wanted to point out the fact that Noct sweat quite a lot on stage, but it was a _fact_. Prompto didn't know what Noct would think if he pointed it out so straight-forward though. He knew that _he_ would be offended if someone pointed out _his_ flaws.

"Sweating a lot? Yeah, um, I don't know why... but the others make fun of it as well. I don't know how Crowe can be on stage with that long scarf of hers," Noct grimaced and took a large bite of his food before he continued with his mouth full. "I think I'd die."

Prompto exhaled slowly and he gave Noct a sheepish smile. Thank the Six he hadn't stepped on any toes there. "Yeah, that... Sorry, I couldn't help but notice."

"It's okay, I know it's a problem and..." Noct trailed off, looking all like he had been caught red-handed again. Prompto blinked, but before he could ask, the other continued, "I'm giving all that I can and I'm... working on my stamina as well, but it's not getting better much. I know some fans make fun of it, too... Like, standing in the first row is a guaranteed place to get hit by sweat 'if that's your kink.'"

Prompto burst out laughing and quickly clapped a hand over his mouth so that people wouldn't be turning their heads at him with unwanted attention. His shoulders were still shaking at Noct smiled at him warmly, his eyes crinkling softly at the corners.

"Well, you _do_ give it your all and then some more, at least from what I've seen," the blond managed to get out after he had calmed down a little. He was still shaking with laughter though.

"I do wonder if those are the same fans that keep traveling after us and who camp near the hotels we stay at," he added when Prompto seemed to be coming down again.

"Huh? You've got fans who do that?" the blond asked, wide-eyed in surprise.

"Yeah, uh, I saw them when we got out of the car last night... Dunno how they did it, but we stayed and talked to them for a while as Iggy was checking us in. Handed them hot beverages he bought when he was finished," Noct explained matter-of-factly as he reached for his cup of hot chocolate again.

Prompto blinked in surprise and then frowned as he tried to recall if he had seen anyone outside as _he_ had checked in. Suddenly, he remembered the small group of girls standing outside, looking like they were waiting for something.

"Oh, I think I saw them... They must have been outside for an awful long time then," he said in wonder, eyebrows disappearing all the way under his fringe. "Poor girls..."

"Mhm," Noct agreed, twirling the remaining chocolate in his cup, looking like he could make more appear magically. "I wished they'd just come to the concerts only. We try to make as much time for them as possible, but this... is really just too much sometimes."

"Yeah, jeez, but it's so nice of you to get them something to warm up," Prompto smiled and tilted his head to the side.

"Mhm, although, if we didn't, they wouldn't keep waiting for us. But we can't just let them stay out in the cold for nothing, right?" Noct sighed and drank the last drop out of his cup. "It's a double-edged sword, really."

Prompto nodded in understanding. If they didn't talk to their fans, if the fans didn't get a reward for waiting out for Monsters of the Deep that long, they would eventually get bored and give up. In return, Monsters of the Deep would maybe get a bad reputation and he could understand that this wasn't anything that Noct wanted for their band. On the other hand, he had no idea how this could really work, he never had fans that were waiting out for him. Well, except for the one that he was talking to right now.

"Well, what are you going to do about that?" he asked, because there was no way that he could voice any kind of advice in this situation.

"Nothing, I guess. I just want them to have fun, even if I don't understand why they do some things," Noct replied and pushed himself up. "Gonna get myself more to drink... Sorry for holding you up. If you want to leave, you can do it. I'll call you later, okay? I'll think of something we can do."

"It's okay! It's not like I have an appointment or anything," Prompto answered quickly, getting to his feet as well. "Um, but I'm sure you've got things to plan, too, right?"

"Mhm," Noct replied, scanning the room until his eyes seemed to land on his manager. He nodded just a little, obviously a signal to acknowledge the other's presence and gestures. "Yeah, we... we gotta leave in like... soon. Ish. I forgot. We've got... Preparations and such, you know?"

"Ah, yeah, sure. I understand." Prompto nodded, smiling sheepishly.

"I really don't want to annoy you with these things... Just... I'll contact you one way or the other, but I'm sure you've got a lot of things planned and I've already... held you up," Noct said, rubbing the back of his neck again. "I'll be seeing you tonight."

"Um, sure! Looking forward to it," Prompto smiled more honestly now. He meant that he was looking forward to it, because after a week without Noct's calls and meeting up with the singer, the artist had started feeling lonely. Maybe they could catch up and redo the record release party that Prompto had missed.

"Great... So..."

"Yeah! See you later," Prompto nodded and left, ignoring the awkward moment between them. After all, they both weren't too great with basic social behavior. There was no way that Prompto could blame the singer. He understood that Noct didn't want to ruin this day for the artist, but didn't know how to do this without sounding like an idiot.

The blond waved to Iggy and Gladio on his way out as they had spotted him talking to Noct as they stood up. Both men sent him a more or less surprised smile and waved as well, but that was all. They didn't try to talk to him and as Prompto looked back one more time, he saw Noct sitting down with them instead of going back to the now lonely table. They looked... familiar somehow, like Prompto had seen the three of them together before, when he knew he hadn't, because this was the first time he ever saw the band's manager. Suddenly, Prompto became jealous that Noct - who was just as socially awkward as he was himself - had so many friends who cared for him and that he trusted enough to be completely open with.

Or maybe he just missed having a family of his own on his birthday.

It was a mood that hit him every year on his birthday, ever since his caretaker had died when he was just fourteen years old. Prompto realized, to his horror, that it would be ten years soon and he had to stop walking as he stared at his feet.

Ten long years.

Ten years that he had been all alone. Ten years during which he had worked hard to get as far as he could. And where was he now? He had his own cozy apartment, a job that he liked _and_ that he was good at. But he was still alone, with the exception of a few people whom he had let into his life, who respected the rules he had for them.

Yet here was one Noct Gar, an introvert just like him, who liked to stand on a stage and sing to people to make them happy, trying so hard to be his friend. Tried to push gently past the boundaries Prompto had set for the people in his life so that he wouldn't get hurt.

And there was Prompto, keeping him at arm's length because he didn't want to let anyone in. Contrary to popular believe, he was awkward and didn't like socializing, yet he knew it was something that he had to do to ensure his growing success. He wanted his caretaker to be proud of him, even now. Wanted to see how far he would come.

Yet he still missed having a family.

After having this epiphany, Prompto decided that  he would tell Noct Gar that if he wanted to be his friend so badly, that he would try to let him. Maybe that would be the best present he could get himself this year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, no hot steamy situations in this chapter. :D But Prompto's vacation isn't over yet, postponed is not abandoned. ;D


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto goes sightseeing in Tenebrae.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the hot springs spoiler. ^^; I'm sorry it didn't happen in the last chapter... and I'm sorry that it won't be happening in this chapter either. But! It will happen! At the end of the day of the current chapters. ^^;;

After taking the bus to the capital of Tenebrae, Prompto spent most of his day walking through the city, taking pictures of the architecture and sights that he had read about in his travel guide books. His first stop had been the palace and it's beautiful gardens, where he spent an hour to photograph the fields of sylleblossoms from all kinds of angles. He thought it was amazing that the delicate blue flowers seemed to bloom all year round in Tenebrae when they wouldn't grow anywhere else in all of Eos.

There was supposed to be a patch in the private gardens of Prince Noctis back in Insomnia, who had asked for them to be planted there after his extended recovery stay as a child. But no one who wasn't with the royals was allowed to go there, so this was the first time that Prompto had ever seen the flowers up close and for real himself. He wondered if anyone would notice if he picked one flower for himself and pressed it in his travel guide book. He didn't, however, want to cause any uproar by just doing it, so he left the gardens without a flower, but hungry.

So, naturally, his next stop was a food stall close to the palace, selling street food that Prompto had read about in his guide book as well. Five minutes later, he had a paper plate with 4 little savory pastries. They were filled with potatoes and minced meat, seasoned in a way that Prompto hadn't tried before, and he couldn't help but think that he had just had the best food in his whole life ever. Quickly, he finished the last three pastries and threw the plate in one of the recycle bins, just to stop for a second because he recognized the design of one of the stickers on the bin.

He didn't know that sticker bombing - the art of placing stickers everywhere - had traveled from Insomnia as far as Tenebrae already, but here it was. A sticker with his design for Monsters of the Deep, with the name and address of the club where the band would be performing tonight. Well, that saved him from having to look up the venue on his phone. Instead, he just had to look up the address and make a note in his calendar for the time when the concert would start. The sticker said 17:30, so Prompto set his alarm to five o'clock, giving him four more hours to explore the city of the Oracle and her lineage. 

Prompto visited a few temples, bought a few paints in an artist supply store - one of them called "Sylleblossoms" that looked exactly like the most magnificent shade of the blue flowers - and even found some souvenirs for his artist friends. He hoped that they would like it, no matter how silly those things were. For Yohsuke he bought a bottle of Tenebraen whiskey, one of the best in all of Eos -or so he had heard. For Quercus, he found figurines of both the Oracle and the legendary king, Ardyn Lucis Caelum, whose brother had founded the line of the King of Lucis. 

He contemplated whatever souvenirs he could get Noct. But if he got _Noct_ something, then he would have to get everyone else something as well, so he quickly decided that it would be something edible, something that they could share together. He found a big bag of individually packed wafers with different fillings and bought that as well.

After that, he took a walk through a very pretty park of Tenebrae, one that turned into a natural forest, so it wasn't unheard of that wild animals would venture into the more urban parts of the park. Where Prompto was already amazed by the different kinds of birds he saw everywhere, he was absolutely stunned when he saw a fox-like creature with some sort of jewel on his forehead. It stopped for a moment and they exchanged looks and Prompto was _sure_ that he heard a voice in his head, but he couldn't understand the words, so he decided that he was just imagining things. Maybe the fresh and clean air was getting into his head, making him see - or rather _hear_ \- things.

His walk brought him to the address that he had looked up earlier, and he was more than a little surprised that he found quite a few groups of girls _and_ men waiting in a decent manner in front of the small club. They all wore the darkest colored clothes they could find - or so Prompto thought - and everyone had something that either spelled "MotD" or even "Monsters of the Deep."

He took a few pictures, thinking that it would be nice to document the dedication of the fans for the band from an outsider's point of view. Maybe it could be a birthday present for Noct, too... Well, if Prompto ever managed to ask him about his birthdate.

The more pictures Prompto took - no matter how sneakily - people started to notice him. When one of the girls looked intently at him through the viewfinder of his camera, he couldn't help but blush and turn his head to the side. He almost jumped out of his skin when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket and scrambled to take it.

It was a message from Libertus, saying: _[ Yo, pipsqueak. Come to the side entrance instead of scaring everyone with your stalker photos. You're cordially invited to spend the rest of your birthday with us. :D ]_

Prompto chuckled and started typing a reply, before his phone vibrated again. So much that it always fell out of his hands.

Libertus: _[ We've got cake! :D ]_ _  
_ Libertus: _[ Well, if you hurry up, that is. ]_

Prompto snorted a laugh through his nose again before he typed back his reply.

MRCRY: _[ Think Noct will approve if you eat the cake without me? ( ͡° ᴥ ͡°) ]_ _  
_ Libertus: _[ Shoot. Well, better be here or I'll have face his wrath! ]_

Prompto snorted, because that was hardly _his_ problem, but he humored the man anyway by making his way to the side of the building that was next to a street wide enough for a door to open. And lo and behold, there was Gladio waiting for him with his arms crossed over his chest, showing off the tattoo on his arms.

"Yo, Gladdy-o," Prompto greeted him with all the confidence that he was trying to exude, but that he wasn't really feeling. Really, this man was so big and tall and beefy, how could you not be scared by his sheer presence? And his tattoo.

"Yo, Merc," Gladio greeted him in return, wrinkling his nose in distaste at the use of the nickname. Prompto chuckled and thought that he was probably saying nothing because at least he didn't call him _Gladdy-daddy_. "Glad you could make it. Noct was all worried and excited that you'd chicken out again on meeting with us. Said he understands, but we're all glad you managed to apologize."

The blond shrunk a little under the scrutinization. "Y-yeah... Sorry about that. But I'm here, alright?" Prompto took a breath and willed the bout of anxiety down in favor of sounding cocky. Show no weaknesses, right? "Decided to ditch my original plans of staying in the bath all night, eat dinner to my heart's content and stay in the bath until I'm all soft and wrinkly to spend the night with you. And last night's dinner at the hotel was absolutely amazing. Means something that I'm missing that to be with you."

Gladio bellowed a laugh and clapped his large hand on Prompto's not so big shoulder, almost making him buckle down. "Good one, kid! Ludio, this one's part of the band, let him in. I'll be staying here to help Ludio out. He's the only security we got tonight, so I'm lending a hand." 

Prompto nodded and followed the large man's gaze and found another man a little further inside, who looked like a local security or something. The tag on his jacket saying "Security" was definitely a hint.

Ludio grunted and stepped aside to let Prompto in. "The rest of you is just down the hall, then right, second and third door are the prep rooms. Don't go in the first. A little further down that hall are the toilets, if you wanna, I dunno, puke or anything."

"I don't," Prompto started, wanting to protest that he wasn't part of the band, but let it slide because Gladio was probably right and it was easier for him to get in like this. Furthermore, he did not feel like puking _at all_ because he wouldn't be going on stage. Not at all. No, sir, uh-uh. Never!

But that was also something that was better left unsaid, so Prompto just smiled and waved the assumption off, before he made his way further into the club. As he walked past the long wall before the turn Ludio had told him about, he heard music coming from there, a guitar and then some people shouting something. Obviously, there was the stage behind this wall, but Prompto couldn't help but wonder where the entrance would be.

Once he reached the corner where he had to turn right, he found it though. A heavy, metal door with large letters spelling 'STAGE' opened up to his left and he almost ran into Noct.

"Mercury! You made it," the singer beamed and threw his arms around the blond, to hug him tight. 

Prompto chuckled and hugged back a little awkwardly, but he didn't mind. He knew that Noct just wanted to express how happy he was, and even though he could feel that he was already sweating a bit under the layers of oversized clothing, he didn't care at all. The fact that the singer smelled _amazing_ probably helped a lot in that matter.

"Happy birthday," Noct said softly and Prompto allowed a moment to just close his eyes and enjoy this moment of proximity, of contact with another human being. He didn't just feel wrapped up in the other's embrace, it also felt like he got caught up in a gentle summer rain shower, warm, yet refreshing. But he also smelled ocean, the power of the waves crashing gently onto the shore, a little salt from the water. With every inhale he discovered a new depth of the man's fragrance and added _chrome_ and _electricity_ to his palette. He blinked as they pulled away from each other and decided that Noct's smell could be summarized with 'inside of a brand new car in the spring rain at the shore with the windows down.'

Prompto snorted softly at his own surprisingly specific distinction of a person's scent. Then he grinned because it was such a _wet_ image.

"Thanks," he said simply, not minding that Noct readjusted to keep one arm around his shoulders as they walked to where Ludio had said the changing rooms were.

"Did you have a nice day? Did you manage to see everything you wanted?" Noct asked and Prompto found himself roped into animatedly retelling everything that he had done during the day. Noct listened to him, even as Prompto started rummaging through his souvenirs and produced the bag of wafers he had bought earlier.

"There we go... I know you've got cake and all-"

"Wait," Noct interrupted him, his arm falling from Prompto's shoulder to his side as he stepped in front of the blond. "Who told you about that?!"

"Um... Libertus? As he texted me to come up here," the painter explained, trailing off as Noct's face fell and he looked so sad as if he just wanted to cry. "That.. was supposed to be a surprise."

"Yeah," Noct sighed. "I mean, it's store bought and nothing special, nothing _personal_ , but it was _supposed_ to be surprise... Guess I can't really have nice things after all, I'm not even allowed to surprise you."

The singer sighed again, much more exasperated and exaggerated than was natural and he ran a hand through his hair before he stepped aside to reveal a cake with so many fruits that Prompto was unable to see the bottom of it. Among them were fruits that he had never seen before in his life like that one that was white with little black dots. On top of it was a sign that read ' _Happy Birthday!_ ' in cursive and Prompto  smiled because it looked a bit mismatched with the rest.

"Well, if it helps, I'm really surprised right now," he smiled as he approached the cake to take a closer look at the fruits. They were covered in something like gelatine to make them look fresher, more shiny and Prompto chuckled a little. "I like it... it has lots of fruits-"

"Yeah, I... I thought you'd like that more than a layer cake with lots of cream and chocolate," Noct interrupted him, rubbing the back of his neck while he worried his lower lip. It was a sure sign of how embarrassed he was, as Prompto had learned and he smiled softly. The singer returned the smile, just to be pushed aside as Libertus barged in right behind him. "Is he here? Can we cut the cake?"

"Libertus! What the fuck?!" Noct growled and glared at the bigger man.

Prompto chuckled softly, trying to push the latent feeling that he he didn't belong here to the back of his mind.

"Ah! He's here!" Libertus appeared so suddenly in front of the painter that Prompto was completely surprised and could barely react when the large man hugged him and lifted him off the ground. "Happy birthday, pipsqueak! Glad you're here, the prince here couldn't stop talking about you!"

Prompto laughed and patted the man on his back as well as he could even while it was slowly getting harder to breathe. Thankfully, Libertus put him down as soon as he voiced his thanks. "...Wait, _the prince_?"

"It's just a nickname," Noct was quick to explain before Prompto could start overthinking this one word. "You know, um, since I'm... I have these... these _special needs_ , you know?"

Libertus opened his mouth to say something, but since Crowe had just appeared in the door frame with her bass guitar strapped to her back, he bit his lip and shut his mouth.

"You mean you sleep like sleeping beauty, you need those _moments_ before you go on stage _and_ you need to be the center of attention all the time? Oh, and everyone thinks you're the greatest little shit ever," she explained with her eyebrows raised at the singer as she stepped into the room.

"Oh, and because you wear black to parodize the higher class on stage, right?" Prompto chimed up, smiling brightly, because really, even if Noct was a rich kid, he couldn't be a prince. Insomnia only had one prince and Noct didn't really look or act like Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. Also, the prince of Insomnia had better things to do than to spend his days touring through Eos, right?

"Yeah! Exactly that," Noct assured them all a little too happily, but then again, Prompto decided not to worry. A lot of kids got the prince's given name back then, it had been rather popular, especially among the rich families.

"We should really start calling you 'princess', totally makes more sense since you're sleeping most of the time like snow white, you know?" Crowe chuckled, even as she sent Libertus a glare.

"Whatever, it's not like I really get a say in this," Noct huffed an annoyed sigh, but smiled warmly at the woman a moment later. Prompto was sure that he could see gratitude in his expression, but he wasn't really sure why he would look like that. Well, maybe she had saved him from one embarrassing situation by creating another one.

"Damn right, princess," Nyx grinned as he arrived through the door as well.

"Hey! You've made it in time!" Crowe greeted the other man and punched his shoulder.

"Ouch," the guitarist groaned and held his shoulder in fake pain. "Geez, you don't need to punch me that hard, I still need that arm."

"Says you," Crowe huffed. She crossed her arms and lifted her chin in challenge.

"Says I," Noct spoke up at last as he walked over and exchanged a rather elaborate looking handshake with Nyx. "Everything alright?"

"Aside from that dull pain in my shoulder," the older man grinned back, before his blue eyes landed on Prompto. "And here? I can see birthday boy has also made it."

The blond smiled sheepishly, just to huff a breath as the man's heavy hand landed on his shoulder. Just like when Gladio had done it, Prompto could feel his knees buckle and he had to bite his tongue so that he didn't make a pained sound.

"Happy birthday... How old are you now?" the man asked and Prompto found himself distracted by his collection of little tattoos again. This time, they looked like someone had just randomly painted lines on him. It made their design even more interesting to Prompto than before.

"Um, twentyfour, sir," the blond gave back, following one of the perfectly straight lines of the man on his neck with his eyes.

"Twentyfour, just like our princess here!" Nyx repeated and turned to Noct, even though his hand was still on Prompto's shoulder. The painter couldn't help but feel like he was going through some kind of initiation rite, but he had no idea of its purpose. Were Nyx, Crowe and Libertus trying to find out whether or not he was a worthy _friend_ for Noct? That was ridiculous.

"You're really the same age as I am?" Noct asked in astonishment. His eyes were wide as if this was brand new information for him. (*)

"Um... yeah? I mean, if you're also twentyfour and not... I dunno, some other age," Prompto gave back, feeling a little irritated at the other's surprise. He was often told that he looked younger than he really was, because of his complexion, his freckles or whatever other reason. Also, for how good Noct had been at stalking him, knowing so many little details about his career, Prompto had thought that he already knew about his age. Since he already knew about his birthday being today.

"No, I mean... I thought... I'm sorry, no offense, but I thought you were older. I-I mean, with all the things that you've already achieved and such..."

Noct seemed to be genuinely surprised, so Prompto had a hard time staying mad at him. Especially since he had assumed that Noct thought he was younger than he looked.

"Ah, um, yeah, I... I didn't take many breaks once I knew what I wanted to do... I guess that's why it feels like I did a lot," he replied, feeling how he turned redder with each word.

There was a moment of silence during which the band members seemed to exchange looks, just before Nyx shrugged and said, "Well, our princess here has been talking about your art from the first day we started practicing, so I guess it feels a lot longer for all of us. To be honest, even though we heard about it, we were surprised, just how _cute_ you are."

The guitarist grinned as Prompto turned as red as a tomato and bristled just like a cat.

"I'm not...! It's not... I'm too old to be cute!" the blond protested, but it ended up with the older members laughing and Noct smiling at him sympathetically. "Well, at least I'm not the baby of the group anymore. I'm older than you by a few months," he explained, his sympathetic smile turning into a teasing grin.

"Dude, _really_? I turn from 'oh my god you're _not_ older than I!' to 'You're the baby now!' in just a second?" Prompto groaned, burying his face in his hand. "And here I thought we were just starting to become friends."

Noct's laugh that started with Prompto's first protest died in his throat and he turned to look at the blond with wide eyes. His look or pure surprise and bafflement soon turned into joy and excitement and he moved to grab Nyx arm. "Did... did you just hear that? He said we're becoming friends!"

"Yes, we did, _prince_. Congratulations on making your own first friend," Crowe chuckled, ruffling the younger man's hair.

Prompto blinked and looked at the other in surprise while Noct seemed to be still gloating about the development of their relationship. "Wait, what do you mean, _first_ friend? What about you guys?"

Crowe visibly tensed, then tapped her lip in thought. "We're... uh, well. We're bandmates, so that's kind of like... like co-workers?" 

"Oh," Prompto said, still frowning a little as he tried to understand what was going on. "You look a lot closer than that."

"Well, the lines are blurred at this point," Crowe shrugged. "Sometimes we feel more like babysitters for this one, other times he's the most amazing champ we've ever known. Isn't it so, boys?"

"You make it sound so simple," Libertus replied with a smile, and Prompto looked up to see him standing dangerously close to the cake. _His_ cake.

"Well, it _is_ that simple, is it not? Sometimes Noct's the greatest leader and he is so damn passionate about this and then he's just the rich kid brat sometimes that he always was," Crowe shrugged and Prompto decided that he should protect his cake before something happened. So he placed himself right between the little table and the big man.

At the same time, Noct' smile faltered as he turned red and looked away from the scene as if he tried to just be pretend being somewhere else, knowing that he couldn't escape though. With a tilt of his head, Prompto watched him closely as he tried to find out if his mind was still here or if he had already mentally detached himself to be in his own world.

He had known people like that at his university, and they had been able to work everywhere at every time. Once they were 'in the zone' they heard nothing, saw nothing but their art. No one was able to talk to them anymore, either when they locked themselves up like this. From how Noct had spoken about his dreams and how he looked at his pictures, Prompto thought that he could be one of those people.

However, as soon as their eyes met, Noct seemed to notice and shot him a sheepish smile. His hand sank to his side and he took a deep breath to gather his resolve before he spoke up in his stage voice.

"Guys, calm the fuck down," he said and everyone was suddenly extremely quiet, pulled in by his aura that surprised Prompto and had him take a step back from its force. It was so quiet that Prompto could hear the noise of the people on the stage preparing whatever still needed preparation. "It's Mercury's birthday, let's sing him a song, okay? 1, 2-"

As he started singing Happy Birthday, the other's chimed in almost at the same time, Prompto felt his throat constrict and tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. Of course, people had sung happy birthday for him before, last year for example, when he had been out celebrating with Yohsuke and his other artist friends, but this was different. These were people that he had nothing in common with, people who didn't really know him, but who had bought him a cake, who made an effort to include him into their inner circle. There was Noct, who look indescribably happy when Prompto had said they were becoming friends. Noct who had wanted so much to give him a present, yet this was the greatest things that he could have ever done for him.

Prompto smiled as tears ran down his cheeks. He smiled so brightly that his face started to hurt.

"Thank you... This is the greatest birthday ever since I've reached double digits. Never thought that _anything_ could be better than riding a very old, very fat chocobo at one of those Thanksgiving fairs, but _this_ definitely tops everything," he said with his voice a little unsteady, but still with the brightest smile on his face.

Everybody laughed at his little joke and as Libertus pushed a knife into his hand to cut the cake, Prompto couldn't help but think that this was the happiest day of his life.

Yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (*) Okay, so! As I stated before, I took inspiration from Noctis' VA and his band and I will borrow some more elements, characteristics and stuff out of their timeline and discography throughout all chapters because I think it fits so well. Like, when Ta_2 and Yorke met, Yorke was already rather famous in his field of work and is also a few years older than Ta_2. And that's something that's gonna be a big point for Prompto and Noctis in this story, too, but it's gonna be all different! I really do not want to write anything like an rps story, really this is just for basic parameters and influences of this story, nothing more. Just sayin' and hoping none of you think that the pairing is, like, not fiction. xox 
> 
> Layann's art of the week is a preview for the next chapter (and more): [Lots of very cute and good-looking Promptos](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171283543126/some-prompto-practice-with-screenshot-redraws-i). :D
> 
> As for the pictures Prompto took of the sylleblossoms, have [this post](http://moody-nature.tumblr.com/post/171292329877/quiet-nymph-creative-travel-projects-leo) as a snippet/inspiration.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Monsters of the Deep prepare for another show... and Noct and Mercury have a deep talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Have this chapter which I finished as I got sick which is why I am at home today with the kitty by my side. I had soup and I promise that this chapter will have quite a few surprises.
> 
> Have some art by Layann to go with this post:  
> [A handful of Prompto sketches, the bottom left being from this chapter!](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171338563811/layann-some-prompto-practice-with-screenshot)  
> [A collection of smiling Nocts, because it's hurt!Noct week and she needed to compensate. Also, he's this happy on stage.](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171513603751/totally-forgot-to-drop-them-here-its-hurt-noct)  
> [This prince Noctis with his hair gelled back gets his own post, because it's a plot point for this story.](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171530480216/day-4-today-a-bit-different-looking-noctis-this) To everyone who's been wondering why Prompto didn't recognize Noct as Prince Noctis. Well, he looks like this when he has official appointments and not like the Noct that we all love and adore.  
> [This one is a glimpse into the future, where Noctis and are on a date in Tenebrae. <3 ](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171566967581/the-royal-tourist-couple-in-tenebrae-being)

The cake was nothing short of delicious, the fruits fresh and sweet and Prompto found himself humming happily as he licked the last of the gelatine from the little fork. The sponge cake underneath was fluffy and he was sure that he could taste the texture of the eggs still, giving it a very rich taste.

Around him, chaos started to break out as it started to get closer to the actual gig. He sat down in a corner and watched everyone fuss around. Noct redressed in a black shirt that looked pretty worn and used, yet he still worked on pulling it down to stretch it out. Prompto watched him from just under the rims of his glasses, sipping on some green tea and wondered if the man was aware that he was giving quite the show doing so or if he was completely unaware of his surroundings.

"I'll be going now," Noct announced as he looked like he was mostly satisfied with his work on the shirt.

"Okay, take care and don't be late. Take your phone with you and turn the sound on," Nyx called out to him, but Noct was already out of the door. The other musicians spent the time to tune their instruments, except for Libertus who ate another slice of Prompto's cake. _He_ looked a little bummed that it was all fruit, but Prompto still loved it, so he chuckled at the man's disappointed face.

As he watched everyone tune their instruments and concentrate on the upcoming show, Prompto was surprised how professional everyone was acting. It was as if they had been doing this for years now and weren't just a new, young band, eager to just stand on stage to have fun playing their instruments. No, Monsters of the Deep obviously wanted to give their best, wanted to be the best, too.

Prompto tried to take some pictures as discreetly as he could and he was very proud of the outcome. He asked each member before he took some detailed shots up close and they were nice enough to let him take any picture he wanted. Prompto only had to promise that he would never publish them in any way their faces would be visible. He was surprised that they all agreed on the fact that they didn't want to go too public with their faces. It was obvious that they wanted their music to be showcased instead of personal fame and that was something that Prompto admired. He liked having his own art speak for himself as well, so that was definitely something that he liked a lot.

About an hour before Monsters of the Deep was supposed to go on stage, Gladio came back to the band room and yelled something about letting the people in. Somehow, everything felt a lot more real after that, a lot closer to something _life-changing_. It felt bizarre - in a way - for Prompto, who had been with the band at this stage before. Or rather, at the stage just _after_ people started filing in.

He felt a little starry-eyed about the whole process, not knowing where he belonged in this stage, so he tried naturally to stay in a corner and not disturb anyway. After about five minutes that felt like an eternity to Prompto, Nyx came to him and put a hand on his shoulder to pull him out of the corner he had put himself in.

"Mercury, can you do me a favor?" the guitarist asked, looking tense already, brimming with the kind of energy that he would let out on stage. Prompto stared at him wide-eyed, surprised that he could sense such a thing, and then he realized that Nyx had just asked him something.

"Um, yeah, sure!" the blond replied, his back straight as he looked up at the older man, almost mortified.

"Relax... sorry I'm asking you to run an errand on your birthday, but I'm sure you're gonna enjoy this one," Nyx huffed and leaned back to cross his hands over his chest. "Remember how Noct said he'd go somewhere? He's taking that time to get ready on his own. We all know what he's doing, it's nothing special, but, well, it's easier if you see it for yourself."

"Okay?" Prompto replied, and from Nyx' soft laugh he must have looked just as confused as he felt.

"Really, there's no need to worry. Noct should be upstairs, somewhere near the roof where he can look far out over the city. Could you go and get him?"

"Um, sure," Prompto  nodded, feeling like a little kid despite the fact that he had just turned 24.

"And hurry. We've still got about an hour, but the sooner he returns, the better for all of us," Nyx sighed and reached out to pat Prompto's arm again. "I'm counting on ya."

Prompto returned the smirk with a weak smile of his own. He had no idea what he was supposed to be doing, but if Nyx was sure that he could do this task, then he had no other choice but to trust him and do it. If it was that easy, then it would be hard to fuck up, right?

"Okay... I'll be going now," Prompto announced and asked for a few directions before he made his way up to the roof of the venue.

There, he found Noct sitting at the edge of the building, his legs hanging over the edge as he listened to something on his phone with headphones in his ears. He looked lost in thought and before Prompto got any closer to him, he took out his camera to take a picture. Not even the sound of the shutter made Noct look up, so Prompto approached him and sat down next to him with a careful distance, so as not to startle the other man.

It took Noct a few moments to notice his presence and when he did, he pulled out one of his earplugs.

"Hey," he said, sounding just a little more surprised than he looked.

"Hey yourself... What are you doing?" Prompto asked, because despite the fact that it was pretty obvious, he kind of hoped that Noct would explain himself a little.

"Nothing much, really. Mostly just chilling... to get into the zone," he said and made a movement with his hands that kind of reminded Prompto of an old anime he had watched back then. "Listening to music, mostly."

"Oh? What are you listening to?" Prompto asked and received a blank stare at first. Then Noct lifted his phone and showed him the cover of what he was currently listening to.

The blond's eyebrows shot up. "Lady Luna? Really?"

Shrugging, Noct replied, "I like her songs. She's pretty inspiring. Before that, I was listening to the Backstreet Bros," he chuckled, shrugging his shoulder a little before he turned back to look at Prompto. "Pretty lame, huh?"

Prompto's first reaction was to agree, to laugh at Noct and make fun of him. However, it didn't sound as if Noct was lying or trying to make a joke. Maybe he was simply trying to conceal that he liked these things unironically, but Prompto wasn't buying it.

"Nah, not really," he said instead, trying to play down his surprise instead. "Just a little surprised. Wouldn't have guessed you like that kind of music from..."

"From the music that we make?" Noct finished for him with a chuckle. "Yeah, I know. We all like different kinds of music, too. Ignis loves classical music and some of the operas he listens to are really cool. He's infected all of us with it and we've been blasting La Traviata all the way to the hotel last night."

"Huh, I wouldn't have guessed," Prompto chuckled even as Noct turned off his music to concentrate fully on him. "Sounds like fun."

"Yeah, it was. Libertus has a really nice classical voice, but he's got no interest in music but being a drummer," Noct smiled, and Prompto was sure he looked a little more relaxed now that he knew Prompto wasn't judging him for his taste in music in anyway.

"Man, I gotta hear that one day!" As amusing as it sounded, Prompto was also fascinated by the idea.

"If you're lucky and he's drunk enough, he will be singing Mozart arias at the party tonight," Noct grinned. If they had been sitting any closer, they might just have bumped shoulders. Instead, they fell into companionable silence and Prompto took a deep breath.

"It's been a few pretty exciting days, huh?" he said, glancing over at the other, who was running his thumb over the cables of his headphones, wrapped around the phone.

"Every day is pretty exciting, if you ask me," the singer replied and lifted his head to look over the city of Tenebrae. "Did you see everything you wanted to see?"

"Mhm... The royal gardens were _amazing_! I took so many pictures, you have no idea," Prompto chuckled.

"Yeah, the blue of the sylleblossoms is pretty calming, right?" Noct agreed and the painter couldn't help but grin. Blue had been a prominent color in the first painting that Noct Gar had bought from him, so it was only natural that he would point out something like that.

"Yeah, I bought some paint of the color at an art supply shop. I can't wait to use it, too," Prompto said excitedly before he fell silent again. He shifted his legs so that he was sitting on his hands, staring down at his knees before he said, "I'm still sorry about not contacting you and... standing you guys up on your record release party. "

"Hey... you said you were scared. It's okay. You weren't trying to hurt anyone, right? You were just... shy," Noct explained, looking away to the side looking embarrassed before he glanced back and Prompto was impressed that the singer seemed to have been thinking about this so much to analyze everything that might have been going on in the painter's mind. "I mean, I'm impressed... Pushing your limits to connect with new people to showcase your art, being proud of your work, getting it sold... that's pretty amazing!"

"You... you think so?" Prompto replied shyly, feeling his cheeks heat up from this much praise. "I-I mean... I know I can come across as a... pretty confident, headstrong, maybe even aloof artist who is doing everything to get to the top." At least that was what they had said in that documentary or printed in interviews as well as those artist bios that came with his art. Prompto did his best to do an impression of the announcer that had voiced the line on TV, hoping that it would make Noct chuckle at least a little bit. "And while that is true about my art... It isn't the real me at all. I am actually super shy, can't talk to people, and I hardly ever have friends because I... I never learned how to make them. And... I just... I kind of... You know I've got Yohsuke and Bellis and some other people I consider... _friends_ , but they are just... someone convenient who help me and who look out for me, but we're not... _close_. You know. Just like you and... and the others. But maybe not even that close."

The blond worried his lip, but just like he had accepted Noct's surprising taste in music, Noct seemed to accept that complicated part of him and just listened to his thoughts.

"So... so when I said... that I... that I want _us_ to be... to be friends... I meant it. But... I have no idea how to do that and I'm afraid that it's not gonna work out and that I will fuck it all up because I'm just... a mess when it comes to people," he ended and bit his lip, feeling a heavy pain in his chest from talking so much about his fears and thoughts and everything that he just tried to forget throughout the day so that his thoughts didn't paralyze him.

He knew he was a mess, and he only had his art to make him feel validated and if he didn't have that, then he wouldn't know what to do. He would lose his circle of artist friends, he wouldn't have anywhere to go to and he would be completely alone and lost. Just like he had been when his caretaker had died.

"You're overthinking things," Noct said softly, turning to look back up at the sky. "I mean, we don't really know each other yet, but... I want to know more about you. And I don't want to read about you in some kind of art magazine. I want to to be your friend. If... if that's okay with you," the other man added and smiled sheepishly.

Prompto was speechless for a moment and then chuckled. "Well, I don't know what I'm okay with and what not because I never tried. But I want to see where this could lead us."

"Me too," Noct agreed and chuckled. "So... are you with me?"

"Ever at your side," Prompto mocked and laughed. "At least I'll try."

"Yeah? Well, you won't get rid of me that easily," the singer smirked and made Prompto laugh a little harder.

"Yeah, I noticed! Yohsuke probably still thinks you're a stalker or something. I mean, what are the odds that we meet up at the same hotel, right?" Prompto kept on chuckling, even as Noct suddenly fumbled shamefaced with his headphones.

"Y-yeah... totally a coincidence..."

Prompto just stared at him, getting a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. "...It _is_ a coincidence, right?"

"Um... I... might have seen your Kwehtter status... and, er, _suggested_ to Iggy to find a hotel nearby... But since you, well, censored all the details, I didn't think we'd meet. Specs - I mean Iggy - said that it was silly and probably dangerous and that I... shouldn't be telling about this, either," Noct admitted, twisting the cord of his headphones until they looked like no one could ever disentangle them.

Prompto was completely speechless. Here he had been trying to open himself up to someone and that one had just confessed that yes, he had been short of stalking him.

"Please... I'm sorry about that," Noct murmured, barely audible over the city sounds and the wind. "I just... That was _weeks_ ago and I just... wanted to be your friend and I didn't know _how_ and... I'm sorry. Like... like _really_ sorry. I promise not to do it again."

The singer worried his lip and Prompto feared that he would break the skin there. However, when he realized that it bothered him more that Noct would break his lip than that he had been more or less stalking him, he just sighed. Maybe he was wrong for doing so, but Prompto had known he was like that and, since no harm was done, he had already forgiven him. Besides, it was his own fault for posting these things on social media, where everyone could see those things, too.

"I guess... we're even now, huh? We both got a strikeout before becoming friends, right? Best way to start this off, I guess," he snorted and shook his head. "Since you're a great guy and I really want to see where this'll take us and I want to learn more about your band and... and stuff, I forgive you. But you need to promise me not to do this to anyone else _ever_ again," Prompto said and wiggled his index finger warningly in Noctis' direction. He knew that it was probably stupid and that it sounded stupid as well, but even if it was just for the record, it sounded like the right thing to say.

"Yes, sir!" Noct replied quickly, still looking like a kicked puppy with his sheepish smile. "Sorry about that again... I really didn't know how to approach you and I just... Well, I _did_ hope we'd run into each other, but I didn't really expect things to happen like they did. Ignis totally talked my head off when he found out why."

Prompto narrowed his eyes and tipped his head at the other. "You can't fool me anymore. You planned this into the smallest detail, right to the point where I'd run into you at the elevator."

"Oh, come on, you know how bad I am at getting out of bed," Noct groaned, even though he still looked quite remorseful about his actions. "That was totally a coincidence."

"True that... but the fact that we _did_ meet at breakfast early is all the more reason that you planned all of this. Because you know I get up early and you usually don't," Prompto huffed and then chuckled. "Nah, man, I don't know anything and I don't want to overthink _this._ You apologized, I apologized and while both of the things we did are pretty embarrassing-"

"We won't do them again," Noct agreed and heaved another sigh, even as he still looked rather nervous.. "Why are you here though? I don't think you just wanted to apologize."

"Actually," Prompto replied with a start, his eyes widening as he remembered his initial mission. "Nyx said to tell you to get your ass down here. Though, I kind of suspect he wanted us to talk now..."

"Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if that was his idea," Noct snorted and then sighed. "They're letting people in?"

"Uh-huh," Prompto confirmed. "Gladio came and told everyone. Then they started tuning their instruments and... I dunno. They just seemed really deep in concentration all of a sudden. How long is today's concert anyway?"

"An hour max. We don't really have songs for more at the moment. But we're working on it," Noct said with a proud smirk. "We plan to publish at least two singles and an album next year."

"Oh, really? That's cool!" Prompto said. He also thought that it didn't sound like a lot, but then again, they had been doing this band for quite some time now and had about six songs. Then again, he knew nothing about how fast music business worked and what else these guys were doing. Noct probably had some family business to take care off and Nyx and the others must have had something else to do as well. They all didn't strike him as the kind of artist that had to make art for a living, unlike himself. If Prompto wasn't selling anything that meant he had nothing to eat, so he made sure that he always had _something_ that he could sell.

"Maybe we can show you one or the other later," Noct smiled and tilted his head. "But, um, I guess. I should go down to meet the others. Since they sent you and all."

"Yeah," Prompto agreed wistfully. "Sorry for keeping you."

"Nah, it's fine. We're friends, right?" Noct smiled and Prompto couldn't help but smile back.

"Yeah. But I'd rather we go down before Nyx can send up Crowe here or anything."

"Don't want anything to happen," Noct chuckled and got up, holding out his hand to help Prompto up. "Not on your birthday."

The blond took the other's hand and got to his feet with his help. "Yeah, I didn't get this old just to be maimed by a beautiful woman with her very skilled hands."

"Dude, you're not old!" Noct laughed and clapped a hand on his back before he led him back downstairs. "'Sides, I'm still older than you. By just two months, but still. I've _never_ been older than someone."

"Really?" Prompto asked. He remembered being the oldest kid in his first year in elementary school,  before his teachers realized that he had started school one year too late. He was quick enough to learn how to read and write so that he could skip a class and get together with kids around his age. Not that this helped him to find friends, because first everyone avoided him because he was so big and then everyone avoided him because he was the weird kid.

"Well, except for Gladio's little sister, but Iris is six years younger than I am so that doesn't count," Noct noted and wrinkled his nose in dyspathy.

"Ah yeah... that's... something different," Prompto agreed, laughing softly. "I mean, she's 18 now? That's not... too bad. It would have been though, like, four years ago." Sure, it would still be borderline pedophilia dating her _now_ , and - well - Prompto he had figured out at some point that he preferred older, experienced ladies. If he really had preference, that is. He didn't really know yet.

"Dude, it would be bad _any_ time," Noct groaned, glancing over his shoulder. "Trust me. You've seen Gladio, right? He's the protective big brother type."

"Geez, everybody in your band sounds like they could be bodyguards as well," Prompto huffed, but pulled the face at the prospect of getting on Gladio's bad side.

"Ah, yeah, I guess? It's always good to know some self-defense techniques," Noct replied, looking a little uncomfortable.

"True. You should check out my secret ability to blind bad guys with the flash of my camera! Or, like, confuse the bad guy by painting a picture of a weapon," Prompto joked, because he had little to no self-defense abilities. Sure, he knew how to defend himself from unwanted advances, but he had no idea how to use weapons of any kind _or_ look scary enough to count as the 'protective big brother type'.

"That's awesome," Noct laughed, patting his shoulder. "If you wanna learn a thing or two, I'm sure that one of the guys is gonna teach you, but that's up to you."

"Ah, maybe not now," Prompto declined politely, wondering when _he_ would ever need to defend himself with weapons. Insomnia was peaceful and Tenebrae had never known any bad crimes in its long history.

"Yeah, it's not like you need it when you're hanging out with us," Noct grinned. They stood in front of the door to the changing room. There was noise coming from the stage and the audience space and Prompto was surprised just how loud it was already.

"How many people are coming tonight?" Prompto asked, mostly because he wanted to know how many people could be this loud already.

"A few hundred... 500? Iggy knows better how many," Noct explained with a shrug. "I don't really care if its 100 or 5000 or more, as long as they have a good time, I'm happy."

"That's... pretty noble," the blond noted. He watched Noct as he returned to his band members. They repeated the ritual that they had done before the other gig Prompto had witnessed, swearing to entertain their fans so that everyone had a good time. When they had finished and there were still a few minutes left, Prompto approached Noct.

"Hey, um, Noct. Is that shirt you're wearing... important?" he asked, itching to do something with it to hide the plain black..

"Hm? Oh, no, I've got a few of those," the singer replied, looking down at the shirt first and then up at the artist questioningly. "Why do you ask?"

"What would you say if I said I could enhance this a little? All I need is... a few minutes. And the paint I bought," Prompto suggested and put his backpack down.

"What are you planning to do?" Noct asked as he watched Prompto dig out a tube of the depths of souvenirs and camera equipment.

"You'll see," Prompto smiled. "Could you... take the hem and stretch your shirt so that it's as straight as possible," he instructed the singer as he spread some sylleblossom blue onto his index finger.

Noct raised an eyebrow at him, but did as instructed. "You don't... have to do that," he murmured as Prompto stepped closer and started to draw the little angler fish over his left hip. When Noct realized what the painter's plan was, he adjusted the hold in hopes to make it easier for him. Prompto sent him a smile and then concentrated on a few more details of the fish. He wrinkled his nose as the painting grew in size and spread all over the side of the shirt. But it looked good, even though Prompto wasn't sure if it could be seen well on the shirt's black.

"Oh wow," Noct whispered in awe, stretching the shirt and craning his neck so that he could see better.

"You like it?" Prompto asked, with no little amount of pride in his voice.

"Uh-huh, looks great," Noct praised as Prompto put the finishing touches to the painting. The blond got up and looked at his handiwork. It looked good, but something was missing.

"...Turn around," he ordered and Noct obeyed without thinking. Prompto stretched the shirt and wrote the letters 'Mot' on the singer's shoulder blade, just to add the 'D' to the sleeve of his t-shirt.

As his finger slid over the other's shoulder blade, he could feel Noct tensing up and he was sure that the other held his breath for the moment that he worked on his back.

"Sorry... was this okay? I won't do it again if it makes you uncomfortable," Prompto apologized, realizing that he could have just asked beforehand. "Sorry."

"No, it's fine, I was just... surprised," Noct replied. "What did you write?"

"Um, M o t D," Prompto spelled out. "Wait, let me take a picture."

"Sure," Noct said as Prompto fumbled with his phone, making sure not to use his index finger as not to get his phone too dirty and took a picture of his newest artwork, using the thumb of his left hand to snap the picture. First the letters on Noct's back, then the angler fish on the front and side.

"The light's not so great, but look at it," Prompto said, opening the picture and zooming in so that Noct could take a better look at it.

"Holy Six, it's awesome," Noct gushed. "Paint's not dry yet, is it?"

"Nah, I wouldn't hug anyone soon if I were you," Prompto laughed.

"Aw man, and here I wanted to hug you. Thanks," the singer grinned and threw an arm around the blond's shoulders, pulling him in as far as he dared.

"You're welcome," Prompto smiled and felt a warm, satisfied feeling spread all throughout his stomach. "Seriously." It was so nice to see someone be so genuinely happy over such a small thing like a simple drawing and knowing that Noct's gratitude was heartfelt and the most honest thing he had ever witnessed was enough.

This was what he had thought having real friends was like. He smiled and hugged Noct back loosely so as not to ruin his work and then watched him head off to the stage with the others, looking as proud of his shirt as Prompto had felt about the few presents he had gotten throughout his young life from his caretaker. Really, Noct looked like a child on Christmas and Prompto had to remind himself that _he_ had done that. It made him smile as he waved them off, probably just as happy as Noct.

When the cries from the audience grew, Prompto went to the back of the club and found Gladio standing there, watching the stage where Monsters of the Deep were giving 120% in their performance.

"Yo, big guy," Prompto greeted the bodyguard and moved to lean against the wall next to him.

"Yo, Merc," Gladio greeted, leaning forward to raise his hand in greeting. "Did you draw on Noct's shirt?"

"Uh-huh, it looked like it was missing something," Prompto replied with a sheepish look.

"Hello, Mercury," the person next to Gladio greeted him and leaned forward. This must be Iggy, Prompto thought and smiled at him before he could really see him in the dim light.

To the artist's surprise, he knew that face. He realized that he hadn't recognized the man with his hair down before, but now, with his fringe spiked up and his glasses well in place, he remembered where he had seen this man before.

Either this was Ignis Scientia, the man who had bought Tenebraen Delight at Weskham's for the royal court, or this man was his twin brother.

"Mr. Scientia?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know the rooftop scene sounds a bit... like they are openly discussing going out or something, but consider this: They both don't know how to make friends. At all. So they talk all awkwardly and stupidly and thus it ends up sounding like Dawson's Creek or something.
> 
> Also - GASP - Prompto recognized Ignis! :O
> 
> BTW: Next chapter will have an onsen scene. I PROMISE!


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Ignis' identity is revealed... what will happen? :O
> 
> Also: This has an onsen scene with naked men, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! (But it doesn't warrant for the rating to go up, so you have been... warned?)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha, the cliffhanger was bad, huh? I'm still kind of sorry, but something just _had_ to happen, huh?
> 
> This chapter is maybe a bit of a mess because quite a few things happen. Prompto is still struggling with what being a friend entails, Noctis is starting to panic about some things and then again, none of the others are really helpful at all. But that's life and people have to deal with it, right? B:) B)
> 
> Furthermore, have some art by [Layann](http://layann.tumblr.com/tagged/outsomnia):  
> [Random smiling Noctis (incl. one with a Luna Fan Shirt)](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171513603751/totally-forgot-to-drop-them-here-its-hurt-noct%20)  
> [Prince Noctis looking princely](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171530480216/day-4-today-a-bit-different-looking-noctis-this) \- an explanation as to why Prompto did not recognize him yet.  
> An outlook for the future (MAYBE a spoiler): [Older couple in Tenebrae](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171566967581/the-royal-tourist-couple-in-tenebrae-being)  
> [Lady Luna on stage](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171669687426/so-happy-international-womens-day-3-33-heres%20). Noctis has all shirts of all her tours.  
> [A collection of drunk Noct confessions.](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171806535821/drunk-noct-confessions-a-page-out-of-a)  
> [Kwehtter Logo and app symbol](https://twitter.com/vaniracoke/status/971129364824936448). Tumblr post and transparent version will follow later.
> 
> Also, I found some [fanart](https://mobile.twitter.com/chio_ta/status/972565022613254144) (which was a random request) from Twitter by chance that _K@tleya_ also found, so I'm linking it here although it has NOTHING to do with this story! (Except for the fact that it has OLDCODEX vibes)

The drive back to the hotel was extremely awkward. At least for Prompto.

Iggy - or better, Ignis Stupeo Scientia - had explained to Prompto in full detail that he was well able to handle his job as a royal advisor for art purchases _and_ manager of Monsters of the Deep. His main argument was that everyone needed a hobby and taking care of a rock band was his. (*)

Still, there was something about his explanation that had Prompto brooding ever since. He still liked the concert, but he didn't know what to make of the new knowledge. Gladio between them had looked rather pensive as Ignis explained himself in big words, but Prompto had no idea what was going on in the big guy's mind. Well, at least it made sense now that the bodyguard would hang out with Ignis rather than be behind the stage with everyone else, seeing as he needed to take care that nothing would happen to someone who worked for the court. He was clearly more important than a bunch of rich guys standing on stage in a country with the lowest crime rate on Eos.

It _did_ make Prompto think about how Noct was connected to the court. Was he part of one of the families that the Lucis Caelums were friends with? Like, were they close or not? Did Noct know the prince after all?

The blond eyed the young man in question in the rearview mirror of their bus. Ignis was driving and Gladio was sitting in the very back, reading a book while Noct was barely able to stay in his seat. He talked with Nyx about new songs, about where they could improve in performance the next time and everything else. For someone who preferred sleeping over being awake, he was brimming with a kind of energy that made Prompto almost jealous. Then again, Prompto had been awake much longer and had seen a lot more things during the day, it was no wonder that he felt drained. Maybe that was also why Ignis' role in this bothered him.

Prompto sighed and decided that it didn't matter. He shouldn't let his birthday get spoiled by such a small detail when he had been so happy to let these people in and let them be his friends. Noct especially, who startled him just then by asking, "Hey Mercury, do you want to join me in the bath when we get back? We'll make it quick, eat and then go bathe again. Totally deserve it, too! It's your birthday and we finished our first tour through Eos! If that isn't a reason to party, then I don't know what is."

"A-ah, yeah," Prompto replied, a lot less enthusiastically. He looked back over his shoulder and the back of his seat, seeing Noct lean over and sit on the edge of his seat as he addressed the blond specifically and exclusively.

"What's wrong?" Noct asked, picking up on the other's mood and toning himself down as well. He looked so worried that Prompto didn't have the heart to tell him what was going on in his head. Especially not since he had just decided that it shouldn't matter _today_ , he could still find out about it another time.

Besides, if Noct _knew_ the prince, wouldn't they be friends? At least... _somewhat_? Maybe not all buddy-buddy like the friendship that was budding between Prompto and the singer, but maybe more like companions, like... like him and Yohsuke. Or perhaps less than that.

"Nothing. It's just been... a long day. Lots of things happened," Prompto admitted and glanced over to Ignis, wondering what was on the man's mind now that Prompto had figured him out.

"Well, all the more reason for a relaxing and cleansing bath along with some good food and booze," Noctis grinned and squeezed his shoulder before he leaned back and went back to humming something that Prompto didn't know whether or not it was a new or an old song.

The drive continued for another fifteen minutes and after Ignis had promised to deal with his dinner reservation along with that of the band, Prompto excused himself to his room to change into his robe and get fresh underwear. Back upstairs he sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of silence before he would go back to what was the cacophony of all these other people. He left his glasses upstairs as well, because he was sure that he wouldn't need them. His vision wasn't so bad that he couldn't make out what was in front of him, it would just mean that not everything was crystal clear anymore. People in the distance would be blurry, but they would be with the right amount of alcohol, too. So Prompto didn't worry too much on his way back downstairs to the public bath.

Surprisingly enough, he didn't hear much of a ruckus the closer he got to the bath. So, either everyone was already in the big tubs _or_ Prompto was the first to come back down. As he shed his clothes and put them in one of the baskets in the room before the showers, he wrinkled his nose a bit at himself. Now, having glasses would be good, but he would have to work without them now, he mused.

He stepped into the shower part of the big bath and looked around, but it was surprisingly empty. There was just one elderly man with a balding head soaking in the tub, no one else. So, Prompto heaved a sigh of relief and found a small booth to shower and clean himself, sighing as all the grime and sweat came off his skin, leaving nothing but cleanliness behind. The hot water helped Prompto relax further and despite the fact that he was a little anxious that the others might have ditched him, he walked over to the tub and found a spot to sit down where the water wasn't too hot for him.

A few moments later, a commotion started from the entrance and Prompto smiled to himself as he heard the now familiar voices of Libertus, Nyx, Gladio and Noct. The elderly man got up all of a sudden, looking all red and made his way outside, leaving the bath to the five men from Insomnia. Prompto pushed himself out of the water to sit on the edge so that he didn't overheat too soon when the other's came in, made sure that his small towel covered his crotch, and waited for the guys.

The shower was pretty loud, but as they finished, they seemed to calm down and walked over with subdued voiced. Prompto wondered if Noct had said anything about him being scared with so many people, or if they were just trying to be respectful after all. He hadn't understood much of what they had talked about thanks to the sounds being reflected by the walls in all directions, so the only thing he could do was wait.

Gladio was the first to get into the water and Prompto was surprised to see that his large bird tattoo went all the way over his back down to the curve of his ass. The bodyguard also held his small towel in front of his crotch and Prompto made a conscious effort not to look too closely. Next were Nyx and Libertus, caught up in a discussion about what spices would be better for a dish from Galahd that Prompto had never heard of before. Despite their shower they looked like they still had dirt all over them, that is until Prompto noticed that those were _also_ tattoos. Little geometrical figures thrown seemingly carelessly all over their bodies, thin lines that went all the way from their heads down to their legs. They were fascinating and Prompto couldn't help but be curious about their meaning.

Before he could open his mouth and ask though, he was reminded of his own tattoo, the one that he had for as long as he could remember, the one that his caretaker had looked at so sadly every time. He still didn't know why, but instinctively, he covered his arm by sliding into the water and hoped that no one would look too closely.

"Hey," Noct greeted as he came to sit on his left side. Prompto heaved a sigh of relief, it was definitely easier to hide his wrist like this, when Noct wasn't looking all too closely to his ride side..

"Yo," he replied and looked his friend over. The singer seemed completely different with his hair wet, although it was still clinging to his face everywhere. His lashes seemed to be heavier, bigger, longer, framing his blue eyes in a way that made it hard for Prompto to look away. (**)

"Sorry, did you wait long?" Noct said and tilted his head sheepishly.

"Ah, no. I was finished just before you guys came in," Prompto replied. He stared down at his crotch, having no idea whatsoever where he was supposed to be looking. With strangers that he didn't talk to it was easy, he just didn't look at them at all. But with somebody that he wanted to talk to? How did that work when he usually looked at their faces?

How had he done that as a child?

"Sorry about that, Iggy told us you've ran into him before. In his... _other_ job," Noct kept talking, blatantly ignoring the fact that they were both naked.

"Oh! Mhm, yeah. Well, not really. I saw him, but I don't think he saw me," Prompto replied. "I was... at Weskham Armaugh's when he took a look at my paintings to add them to the royal collection. I think he also took a flyer to that other exhibition where we met."

Something clicked in Prompto's brain then and he turned his head to look at Noct with wide eyes.

"Wait a second, is that how you got to know about the exhibition?!"

The other looked away and rubbed the back of his head with his left hand, abashed, and Prompto's gaze was immediately drawn to the long scar on the inside of his lower arm. It looked old and faded, barely visible if not for the fact that the skin around it was red from the hot water. "Um... yeah? He knows I like your artwork, so that's why..."

"Oh my _gods_ , so it's thanks to _you_ that they noticed me?! Holy shit!" Prompto gushed, his eyes wide as his head was spinning a little.

"I guess," Noct replied with a lopsided smile and a sheepish chuckle as he lowered his arm again.

"Well, um, thank you then," Prompto smiled with his head tilted to the side and then his gaze fell to the star-shaped birthmark in the middle of Noct's chest. There was _something_ about it that rang a bell for Prompto, but he had no idea what it was about.

"It was nothing, really," Noct laughed sheepishly and shifted, blinking to get his fringe out of his eyes. It didn't do much and Prompto wondered why he didn't just brush his hair completely out of his face then.

"No, it was... It means everything to me. I-I mean, I guess I shouldn't be telling you this as you also bought a painting from me, but... since the royal court bought _Tenebraen Delight_ from me, I was able to... raise my prices so that I could afford this vacation and... and more," Prompto confessed with an awkward laugh. "I've never been confident about putting the prices of my work up to where they are now, but ever since Weskham said that I shouldn't hold back, I've been... trying. So I guess I'm sorry now that you've made yourself pay more for the two moon pictures that you've bought for yourself and your... your friend."

Noct laughed a little. "Well, I don't mind. They're worth everything I paid for it."

"Thank you," Prompto repeated with a soft smile of his own.

They fell into a companionable silence while Libertus and Nyx kept discussing the benefits of Galahdhian over Insomnian basil until Noct sighed next to him.

"They're always like that, discussing recipes. Unless you've got Ignis anywhere nearby. He's usually the first one to have the final word when it comes to recipes. Even if he's open to suggestions," the singer explained when Prompto looked at him curiously.

"Ignis cooks?" When did he have time to do that between his two jobs?

"Mhm, sometimes. There's something that he wants to achieve, he said, and he doesn't know how it's made exactly, so he's been trying all these years now. I admire his passion," Noct said softly and Prompto returned his smile.

"It's nice, having a dream like that," the artist commented. "My dream was to make enough money that I didn't have to worry about money anymore and... Well. Looks like I'm really close to fulfilling that one."

"That's a pretty materialistic dream," Noct noted, looking quite surprised.

"I... Well, yeah," Prompto snorted. "I am happy I can make money while doing something I like. That... hadn't always been the case. My time at university was... hard."

Noct looked at him and Prompto felt a bead of sweat run down his nose and he resisted the urge to wriggle it off just so. It'd probably looked stupid or something.

"Well, you did well coming so far, not giving up. It's... an inspiration, really. I mean, you're right when you say that none of us need to succeed with this because we don't _need_ the money, but it's... fun. And not just for us, but for the people coming to our concerts as well," Noct said, lifting his hand again to brush sweat and water out of his face.

Prompto's gaze caught the scar again and since they had already talked about Noct's motivation for his band, he decided to change the subject as his curiosity finally got the better of him.

"Where did you get that one?" he blurted and pointed to Noctis' arm. Suddenly, all conversation died down and Prompto felt Gladio's eyes on him, piercing through his skull as if he wanted to kill him. The blond bit his lip, but didn't back down, because this was something between him and Noct. "You... If you don't want to answer, that's okay, too."

Noct's eyes widened and he looked down at his own wrist as if he was seeing the scar for the first time. "This? Oh. Hm..." he started and his brows pulled together in thought. Prompto worried his lip, licked some sweat and water off and waited.

"When I was a little, I was attacked, hm, by a ferocious beast," Noct started tentatively and with his words, Gladio seemed to relax, just like Nyx and Libertus. Prompto didn't know which can of worms he had accidentally opened there, but it seemed like Noct had averted the crisis to the other men's relief. "It got me good, I was in a coma for days after. My back looks worse from its claws as it held me down. I was saved - luckily - but... well. It weakened me. It's why I sleep a lot sometimes."

Prompto blinked and stared at the other man in newfound admiration. He allowed himself to roam the other's body, even crane his neck and look at the other's back. Noct snorted a chuckle and slid forward, showing off the long scars on his back where something _big_ must have scratched him. Prompto gasped out loud just thinking about the _size_ of whatever beast it was that had injured Noct. Sure, he had been smaller then, but still.

"...is that why you flinched when I painted the letters on your back?" Prompto asked, reaching out to gingerly touch the deep, old lines. Noct flinched again, but he held out, letting Prompto touch him carefully and explore the old marks. He even turned around a bit so that the blond had better access.

"...Yeah. I was surprised then, but it happened so fast that I didn't want to say anything," Noct explained carefully, self-consciously. "Besides, it doesn't hurt or anything, I just-"

"Phantom pain," Prompto breathed out, and smiled timidly when Noct looked at him over his shoulder with wide eyes. "We all get that sometimes."

Gladio snorted to that and both Nyx and Libertus looked away, having kept silent throughout the whole conversation between the two young men.

"Yeah, I guess," Noct replied, trying to smile. "Now you know."

Prompto nodded and pulled back his hand. "Thank you," he said as Noct leaned back against the wall of the tub. "Guess I won't do that again."

"Ah, no! It's fine, really. Just... if you could give me a small warning to mentally prepare myself, that would be great," he returned quickly, raising his hand to touch Prompto's shoulder. Flinching himself at the sudden touch, Prompto exhaled slowly to get a grip on his nervousness.

"I-I will try to remember that!" he said quickly, leaning back himself then. He took a deep breath and then made a face as his stomach growled so loudly that it was audible through the whole bath. "Ugh..."

"Guess we should head to dinner soon, huh?" Noct chuckled, just to wince himself as his own stomach growled. "Fuck..."

"I guess it's contagious," Gladio laughed and pushed himself up, naked as he was. Prompto gasped and covered his eyes quickly while Noct just groaned, looking pointedly at the ceiling.

"Dude! Cover up, no one wants to see your junk!" the singer growled and Gladio laughed again.

"You're just jealous that yours is so puny in comparison," the bodyguard said as he stepped out of the water and out of the bath. Prompto dared to lower his hands again and hoped that the worst was over now.

"You know, where he's got a point, he's got a point," Nyx smirked and got up as well, neglecting to cover up himself as well. Prompto groaned and rolled his eyes, just to end up on Libertus' crotch as well.

"Be careful or it might shrivel up and turn inside out," the drummer grinned and Prompto winced as he caught sight of the man's dick as well. Great, now the only thing Prompto could do was to compare the three dicks he had just seen and he couldn't help but note that even _he_ was bigger than Libertus. Also, Gladio was smaller than Nyx, but no one would notice because nobody would ever really look as closely as Prompto had just done on accident.

He groaned again when he heard the three men leave the bathroom. "Great. Just what I wanted for my birthday, seeing the junk of three men who'd just make fun of me. Ugh, totally could have done without _that_."

"I feel you," Noct chuckled sympathetically. "Welcome to my life where everyone just wants to see me suffer."

Prompto sighed and rolled his eyes again. "Dude, I'm _so_ sorry. But if this continues, I gotta rethink being friends with you."

Noct's face fell comically, going through a myriad of emotions ranging from amusement to fear to hope that this was just a joke and Prompto couldn't help but laugh.

"That... that was a joke. Right?"

Prompto continued to laugh before he turned around and got up himself, making sure that Noct wouldn't see anything of his crotch on his way out. "We'll see," he grinned as he looked back over his shoulder and made his way back to get dressed.

~*~

Prompto was surprised how much _fun_ it was to go drinking with his new friends. The food was still great, but it was even better with this large group of people who started sharing back and forth the things that they didn't like. Prompto received some beans from Noct and gave him back some of the things he wasn't too fond of, like this fancy looking clam or whatever it was. When Prompto had tried it the night before, he wished he hadn't taken that bite, but it wasn't like he could just spit it right back out. Never waste food, was the mantra that was in his head.

They had beer with the main course of grilled meat and Prompto was _sure_ that Noct had snatched a slice of beef from him while Prompto was listening to Libertus talking about how beef from Galahd was far superior to anything else he had ever eaten. Apparently there were some farms that massaged their cows, let them live the best life ever imaginable for a cow or even a human. Seriously, it sounded like these cows were living an even more luxurious life than the prince of Lucis.

Prompto was pretty sure that it was at this line that Noct stole his beef, but he chose not to pursue that thought. Instead he stole one of his petal-shaped carrots, but he didn't think that Noct would miss any of his vegetables.

After the long and very good meal, Prompto allowed the guys to drag him to the hotel's bar, which was completely empty except for the seven of them. Gladio ordered beer for everyone, staying close to the bar to chat with the barkeeper and Ignis. Since Prompto didn't know anyone that well and didn't know who would be the safest to hang around with, he stuck with Noct, but after two steins of beer he already started to think that this was a mistake.

Or maybe he was too drunk to be able to differentiate between friendly behavior and downright flirting. Although, whatever Noct was doing, it was at least one level after the stage of flirting. The blond hadn't minded the heavy arm slung over his shoulder, it was warm and he didn't mind being this close to Noct. The thought had puzzled him, but when they started their second glass of beer, Noct had kept praising him and his artwork and somehow, that started to make Prompto feel _quite_ uneasy.

By the time his second glass was empty however, Noct started praising _him_ instead of his artwork and that was when Prompto started squirming even more uncomfortably.

"Seriously, you're the best," the singer slurred, resting his chin on Prompto's shoulder as he hummed in appreciation. "Getting this far this young, all on your own, I'm proud of you. Plus! Yer cute. Like, the cutest thing I've seen since a baby chocobo!"

At this point, Prompto sent a desperate look to Nyx, who sat down opposite to him with three new glasses of beer for each of them. The guitarist just grinned as he watched Noct push forward with pursed lips on Prompto's shoulder, trying to place a kiss on his neck even though it was too far away for him. It felt weird and Prompto was sure that it looked even weirder from the outside.

"I can see you're trying to cry for help, but you won't get any," Nyx snorted before he took a large swig out of his beer. "He's always like that. When he's drunk, that is."

"...Really?" Prompto asked, half in doubt, half hoping that Nyx was just trying to mess with him.

"Uh-huh. Wait until he starts professing his undying love for you," the guitarist added, his eyebrow twitching up conspiratively as he grinned into the foam of his beer.

"I hate you, Nyx. Don't _scare_ mrrrrrrcurrrrrrrrrrrrrry," the singer growled and Nyx laughed at how he pronounced Prompto's pseudonym, making it sound like some kind of purr.

"Wouldn't even think of it, _princess_ ," the man chuckled, "you're doing that _all_ by yourself."

"'m not," Noct grumbled, nuzzling further into Prompto's shoulder, before he looked up with the biggest puppy eyes Prompto had ever seen a human being make. And he had worked with a lot of girls who tried to get their way out of things just because they thought they were cute. "Am I scaring you?"

The blond swallowed and looked over to Nyx for help again, but once more he was denied such a simple request with nothing more but a grin. It was as if Nyx was trying to tell him that he was a big boy and that he needed to get out of this situation on his own. He was just there to make sure that nothing _worse_ happened.

"I... No? I mean-" Prompto stammered, but it was obviously the wrong answer. The singer's lower lip started quivering and he pulled away, looking on the brink of tears.

"You hate me!" Noct declared mournfully and started wailing so loudly that all the heads turned towards him.

"No!" Prompto was quick to say, raising his hands in defense. "No, no, I don't hate you! I _like_ you!"

The singer sniffled as he lifted his head, looking at Prompto with a look that almost broke his heart. "...really?"

"Yes, really," the blond replied and tried his best reassuring smile. "I _really_ want to be your friend, um, just... I still need to... to _learn_ how to be your friend..."

Once more he looked to Nyx for help, but the guitarist just shrugged his shoulders. Well, if he wasn't helping, it meant that Prompto was doing good, right?

"I want to be your friend, too! Your _best_ friend!" Noct beamed and Prompto couldn't help himself and smile in return. "You're the best, I want to be with you _always_!"

Nyx chuckled and smiled at the blond. "Congratulations. Seems like you've passed the test and won't be able to get rid of him that soon."

"Is that a good or a bad thing?" Prompto asked, only half-exasperated as Noct hugged him close and rubbed their cheeks together.

"That's for you to decide," Nyx grinned and lifted his glass in a silent toast.

Prompto just sighed and patted Noct's back reassuringly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (*) Before anyone says anything: No, Ignis is NOT lying about his jobs. He was leaving out details, but everything concerning his person is nothing but the truth. Concerning Noct however, he hasn't said a word, nor did he say anything about Noctis either.
> 
> (**) Noctis took ages fussing about his hairdo to make himself look less like Noctis with his hair out of his face, because he was panicking and didn't know how else to disguise himself in a bath where everyone is, like, completely bare. That's also why he's so adamant about keeping his hair in his face.
> 
> Thanks for reading again! Next week, _something_ will happen! And it's _not_ good! *gasp*


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto was starting to sense a pattern. And then something happened that no one thought would happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it took me 15 chapter to get to the start of the actual plot. It's subtle and it will grow just as subtly, but this is actually the first stone.
> 
> Also, in case you haven't seen it yet, I've written a short companion piece called "[Next to Your Heartbeat](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13981881)." It's a White Day Snippet about Prompto and Noctis celebrating their first month of being together. Because of that, I've also expanded Outsomnia to a series and I might post more snippets like that over time.
> 
> Speaking of which, [Layann](http://layann.tumblr.com/tagged/outsomnia) drew [the perfect kind of White Day Date for Noct and Prompto](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/171875151101/the-perfect-white-day-date-me-768).

Prompto woke up wrapped in warmth, blankets as well as a set of arms and legs. His head hurt and he tried to find the source of the sound that woke him up. It turned out to be his phone with his alarm set to six in the morning. He groaned and turned it off, before he remembered that he had to check out before ten so he could get a taxi to the airport of Tenebrae in time for his flight back to Tenebrae. Thus, he grumbled and set his alarm to 8 o'clock, before he turned back around and wrapped his arms around whoever he was sharing his bed with.

He could worry about the details later, when his head stopped hurting at least a little bit. Luckily, he fell back asleep almost instantly, lulled into sleep by the smell of the ocean and sylleblossoms in the rain.

When his alarm went off at eight, he had his face pressed into a warm, naked chest, that was just a little wet. Upon closer inspection after that had startled Prompto awake, he realized that it was his own drool and it was only then that he realized that he was drooling on _somebody_. Why was this happening?

Whatever the reason, it was getting annoying, not to mention it was bad for his heart. His heart hammered against his ribcage as he attempted to stop any anxiety attacks before they could get bad, Prompto mused that he _didn't_ randomly wake up in the arms of strangers. Or, well, people he barely knew, he added guiltily. He went home alone _before_ anything could ever happen. There had only been _one_ time that he had woken up in the arms of a stranger and that had been because they had fallen asleep while working.

Now though, he hadn't been working at all. He was on vacation, he was in Tenebrae and today he was flying back to Insomnia. Last day he had met Noct and Monsters of The Deep, and they went drinking and then...

What then?

"Ugh," Prompto groaned as his headache interrupted his thinking process and lifted his head enough to check whether he was facing the chest of his new friend, or if he had done something even more stupid. He blinked his bleary eyes open, recognized the star-shaped birthmark and then looked up to see the black strands resting on the other's neck and cheeks, one arm protectively wrapped around Prompto's shoulders, the other cushioning the blond's head as their legs were tangled under the covers. The robes they had been wearing before were completely disheveled and barely held together anymore, leaving almost nothing to imagination.

Thank the Six it was just Noct. If he had gone with someone else then he would have never been able to live up to the shame. It was bad enough that their clothes were all over the place, but that happened when you slept, right? There wasn't anything weird about _that_ , right? However, it was probably weird to notice that the singer's legs were rather hairy, quite in contrast to Prompto's own legs. It just felt nicer to run and bathe without the hairs on his legs. Besides, when he started to shave in the shower, he just didn't stop.

"Hm, that feels nice," Noct mumbled above him, and Prompto froze. He hadn't realized that he had been moving his legs, but now he hoped that it was just _that_ and not something else, like a wet dream or something. Prompto checked himself and sighed in relief when he _wasn't_ sporting morning wood, or at least not anymore. Not like their crotches were touching, but Prompto definitely didn't want to give Noct any false hope. Or, well, impressions, not _hope_. Geez, it was way too early for this.

For a few moments, Prompto allowed himself to watch the man sleep, his thick lashes resting on his rosy cheeks, the umber lips opened just enough to exhale softly. Everything about him was so different to Prompto, whose complexion was more pale and pink, where Noct was more tan and even. There was not even one freckle on his face, just a few beauty marks here and there that definitely earned their name.

"Noct, hey, wake up, you're in the wrong room," Prompto whispered softly to make the man wake up before he could dwell any more on how beautiful he was and before anything embarrassing could really happen. Or maybe that had already happened, but then they would have to talk about it, but there were definitely more pressing matters right then.

"'m not, 'm right where I want to be," Noct mumbled and tightened his hold around the blond's shoulders.

Prompto gasped and didn't know why, but it made his heart beat faster and he found himself _whining_ in protest. "Noct, _please_... I have to get up, I have to catch my flight and I really want breakfast... _please_?"

The other didn't move. Well, he _did_ , eventually, but only with grumbles and complaints until he finally pulled his arms away from around Prompto's shoulders and rolled onto his back. Then he proceeded to lay there, spread eagle with his robe barely hanging onto him and, well, Pompto couldn't help but notice that they had at least managed to put on underwear at some point. Or maybe they hadn't even taken them off after the bath. Which was definitely more likely than anything else the dirty part of Prompto's brain could come up with. They were _safe_. Nothing had happened, what a relief.

"I'll be back in a second, then we will go downstairs and take a bath, and then breakfast," Prompto ordered resolutely and pushed himself up to stand. He waited until Noct grunted something affirmative before he shook his head with a sigh and went to the toilet.

As he returned, the other was still lying spread eagle on the futon, so Prompto all but growled and poked his side until Noct groaned and rolled to the side.

"Man, you're really hard to wake up, aren't you?" Prompto huffed and then knelt down, leaned over the bed and sucked his index finger until it was all wet before he stuck that into the singer's ear. For a moment, nothing happened and Prompto almost faltered, until Noct shot up and slapped his hand away with the most horrified expression Prompto had ever seen.

"What the fuck?! Why would you do that?" he demanded, fully enraged and red in the face, holding a hand protectively over his ear as he glared at the painter. Prompto had to bite his lip not to laugh, because that reaction was just too adorable.

"Well, you're up. Until I know a better way to bring you back to life than a wet willy, I'm sticking with that," Prompto quipped back with a huff and then held up a hand to help the other up. Noct looked at him for a moment and sighed before he took the invitation to get up.

"Worst way to wake up," he grumbled, reaching up to run a hand through his hair before he tugged on a few strands to make them stay in his face. It was as if he used them to hide from something, like the rest of the world. It was something that Prompto knew quite well, because he also liked to hide from the rest of the world sometimes by not wearing his glasses. Everything would be nicely blurry and out of focus and he could just ignore everyone and everything around him. Today, he got them though.

"Come on, let's get into the bath and then grab some breakfast. We can talk about the rest there," Prompto said calmly and took the small bag of necessities and his towel with him.

"Yeah... like, why am I in _your_ room? And why are you not bothered by that?" Noct replied, curious and confused, stifling a yawn with a hand as he followed Prompto through the corridor to the bathroom.

"I don't know," Prompto replied honestly as they waited for the elevator to open up. "I guess it's... it was nice, nothing happened and... we're friends, right? Friends do this kind of stuff, right?"

"Yeah..." Noct agreed, albeit a bit hesitant, but that might just be because he was still not awake yet. They hurried  to get into the bathroom, then showered quickly in silence in adjacent booths without looking at each other. It wasn't uncomfortable, but not completely comfortable either. However, they both waited until they were in the hot water before they started talking.

"...do you remember why I went into your room with you?" Noct asked in an unreadable tone for Prompto, glancing over his shoulder where he was sitting next to the blond. It was as if he had remembered something, but wasn't sure if Prompto remembered it in the same way. Well, Prompto still couldn't remember what had brought him up there, he only knew that he had been not surprised or disturbed by the fact that _Noct_ had been in his bed.

"Hm... nothing solid. I don't remember much after you declared that you're my best friend," Prompto humored him with a hum and leaned his head back to stare up at the ceiling. "Must have had too much alcohol."

Noct was silent for a moment as he seemed to mull over his own memories and then heaved a sigh as well. "Yeah. Guess we're both kinda weak to alcohol, huh? Cuz I can't remember myself what happened after that, either."

Prompto watched his new friend chuckle and wondered why it felt like he was hiding something from him. Maybe it was the unreadable tone from before, but Prompto was sure that there was more.  On the other hand, it couldn't be much since they were both naked.

Joining the singer's laughter over the stupid joke in his head, Prompto kept on laughing because it was probably the most embarrassing thing he had ever done. Who would laugh at their own jokes? Embarrassing.

It took him a moment to calm down and then he noted: "So. For the record: You followed me to my room because you were too drunk to find your own, right?"

"Yeah, sounds plausible," Noct agreed with a nod. "I mean, no matter what anybody else is gonna try to make us think, we both know that we just _slept_ because we were _tired_ and nothing else happened."

"Wait. What _are_ they gonna say?" Prompto asked, turning to look at the singer in growing horror, who looked flushed not only from the bath alone.

"Oh... just... You know. Dirty jokes," Noct said quickly with his eyes shifting from left to right.

Prompto blinked, his eyes widening in disbelief. "What the heck, they'll think we've had _sex_?!"

Noct winced and waved a hand in front of his face. "No! I mean, I don't _know_ what they think, it's just... they gonna make fun of it, okay? So... So brace yourself, okay?"

"Ugh," Prompto groaned, letting his head roll back as he stared at the ceiling to brace himself in preparation for facing the others later. "Well, I guess we're all adults here, so that much is to be expected."

Noct just huffed and leaned back himself, closing his eyes for a moment. "...We should really get out soon. I don't want to fall asleep here. And maybe drown."

Prompto agreed quickly and they got up a moment later to get dressed in their robes again. After drying their hair and a quick talk about Prompto's itinerary on the way to the breakfast room, Prompto noticed Ignis and the others sitting on one of the those long tables. He smiled at them, helped himself to some breakfast and chuckled when Noct piled sweets and treats onto his plate.

"Oh, look who's finally back among the living! Did you have a good night, princess?" Crowe greeted Noct as the two of them arrived at the table with their food.

"Well, kind of," Noct replied, trying to keep his cool.

"Where's Nyx?" Prompto asked quickly to distract everyone.

"Probably training or something," Libertus yawned before he shoved some sausage into his mouth. "Dunno where he went."

"Training?" Prompto echoed, just a little intrigued to have a potential running partner. "What kind of training?"

"Oh, just... this and that," Libertus drawled, shifting his gaze left and right. Prompto frowned, but shrugged it off.

"Noct, a word, please?" Ignis said calmly, but with a certain urgency as he looked up with a grave expression that worried Prompto.

"Um, sure?" Noct got up and followed the royal adviser outside.

Prompto watched them until they disappeared before he turned to Gladio and asked, "What's going on?"

"Dunno," the bodyguard replied, frowning at the direction where singer and manager had just disappeared to. "Must be important."

The two men re-appeared a few minutes later with expressions as dark as they could be. Ignis leaned over to Gladio and whispered something into his ear, making the big man's eyes widen before he glared at nothing in particular.

"What's wrong?" Prompto pressed on, but no one would meet his eye. It made him frown and feel like they didn't let him in on something important.

"Oh, um... Mercury, you know," Noct started, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. He glanced over to Ignis, who shook his head almost imperceptibly. The dark-haired man sighed and looked at Prompto sympathetically, as if he was trying to say something, but didn't know how to put it. "You could... come with us back to Insomnia? We're taking the train this afternoon, it'll be underway all night. I know... it's not as fast as a plane, but then again... it's not... _flying_?"

"Why are you telling me this?" Prompto frowned. "I've got my ticket, I've already checked in, why would I want to exchange my flight for a train?"

"Maybe... you should check your phone... or your mails," Noct said softly with a sympathetic smile.

"Why... It's upstairs in my room anyway." Irritated, Prompto took a bite out of his omelette and glared down at his plate as if the eggs had personally insulted his art.

"Mercury," Ignis said softly and something in his voice sounded so _motherly_ that Prompto couldn't help but look up curiously. "You should check the news. And I'm sure you'll find a message from your airline as well."

"Why?!" Prompto growled, but before anyone could say any more, he pushed himself up and huffed, "Fine. I'll go and check my phone. If you're so hellbent on ruining this for me."

He stalked back upstairs and kicked his shoes out of the way to find his phone on the small table next to the bed where it was plugged in to charge. And, as Ignis had said, there was a message from his airline, saying that his flight was cancelled and that he should contact the airline as quickly as possible.

"What the hell," Prompto grumbled and scrolled through the mail to find a reason. Then he checked the rest of the message to find out _why_ the flight was cancelled, but he found nothing. Groaning, he went to check the website of Tenebrae's airport. Curiously, _all_ flights were cancelled for the day. And the day after and for all other available days, too.

That was more than just a little weird. What had happened?

Prompto was sure that he could just ask Ignis since he obviously knew the reason why. Maybe the information was classified? But what if he hadn't met the royal adviser? What would have happened then?

The blond groaned again loudly and let himself fall back onto the bed. He stared at the ceiling and wondered what he was supposed to do now. Well, he definitely had to call the airline's hotline or go to the airport, but he doubted that either would be faster than the other.

The last time flights had been canceled on that scale was when Mount Ravatough had broken out and an ash cloud had covered almost all of Eos, making it impossible and dangerous for planes to take off at all. But that had been before Prompto had been able to afford flying out of Insomnia, so he had only been annoyed by it being all over the news for as long as it lasted.

He should just go with Noct and the others and take the train. It would take the whole night, but at least it was still running. Still, he had to check with the airline, especially after they had told him to contact them.

In a last attempt to find out what was going on, Prompto checked Kwehtter for any news. What he found there wasn't really helping him to calm down in any way.

' _Just got almost hit by a missile! Pretty sure it got fired from the area of #Nifelheim, thank the Six we didn't get hit!_ ,' he read there, along with ' _Oh my gods, I just got a notification from the pre-warn app that were about to get hit! Thank the Six nothing happened! What is going on in #Nifelheim?_ '

What unnerved him the most was a video from someone on a plane from Tenebrae to Insomnia of a rocket rising and falling and ending up going down into the ocean a moment later, just below the aircraft, after coming dangerously close. However, the official news sites remained suspiciously silent, except for those that insisted on being extremely neutral.

He shouldn't think twice about taking the train. He should really just accept Noct's and Ignis' offer and go back with them, at least it would mean that he would be safe and with royal company. But would he feel good to take advantage of a man he hardly knew? He knew Noct well enough and trusted him, and Noct trusted Ignis well enough, but was that enough at this stage for Prompto to ask the same of him?

"Ugh!" Prompto groaned again and took his phone off the charger before he stomped back downstairs. He sat down in the spot where he had been sitting before. He glowered at Ignis before he whispered, "How did you know?"

The man's mouth twitched into a sad smile and explained, "The first thing I do every morning is to check the news. There was an uproar because of the cancelled flights... Not to mention... the _reason_ for those cancellations."

Somehow Prompto didn't believe him when he said that he checked just the public news. There was nothing on there about an attack, except for those extreme right wing sites that couldn't be described as 'real' news. They were always blaming Nifelheim and the refugees anyway, so Prompto didn't quite believe them most of the time. He was sure that the 'news' Ignis was referring to were actually communiqués coming directly from the Royal Court of Lucis.

"But... What am I supposed to do _now_?" Prompto hissed, glancing to Noct, who was looking down at this breakfast with a hardened face full of worry.

"Well, I believe you are supposed to call your airline," Ignis nodded to the blond. "They will arrange a substitute transportation for you."

"What about your offer to take me with you?" Prompto demanded, feeling a sudden panic rise in his chest.

"I believe that was Noct's offer," Ignis sighed. "But of course, it still stands. You are most welcome to travel with us," the man added with a side-glance to the singer. The black-haired man's face lit up, although the worry was still there. "However, you should contact your airline and make sure they know you are safe. I believe you should also call your... your friends."

Prompto blinked and then felt his eyes widen in surprise. Yes, he should write Yohsuke at least, he was probably worried to death. Thus, he nodded to Ignis and wrote a message to Yohsuke before he also made an update on Kwehtter that he was okay, to whomever it might concern.

"I wrote them," he nodded, steeling himself. "Do you think... do you think a new war's gonna start?"

"I believe that is still to be discussed," Ignis said softly, his face turning gentle and sympathetic. "Don't worry, things need to be investigated first before Lucis thinks of... retribution."

Noct's eyes widened and he shook his head almost unnoticeably. Prompto could only agree; he didn't want a war to start and more refugees to come into Insomnia. Not because it was bad, living in Insomnia, but because the city was cramped and Prompto didn't want more people to lose their homes. People shouldn't have to suffer from a war that hadn't even started yet.

"Lucis wouldn't-" Noct started, but bit his lip and stared down at the pile of food that was still on his plate.

"I know, Noct," Ignis nodded. "Would you excuse me? I need to make some calls of my own," the man said and got up, taking a cup of coffee with him before he went out into the lobby to make his calls.

Prompto sighed before he dialed the support hotline in the message from the airline. He didn't expect to get patched through immediately and as much as he hated it, he was proven right and ended up in the queue with a very bad and boring background music. He heaved another sigh and then went to get himself a new cup of coffee and something to snack on out of frustration.

"Hey... Don't worry, okay?" Noct said, putting a hand on his shoulder after the blond had sat back down at the table next to him.

"I'm fine," Prompto sighed. "Just... getting all my plans for the next days thrown off is... unsettling. And then there's the fact that Niflheim might just have attacked Lucis and _that_ is also pretty unsettling!"

"I'm sure... I'm sure it's nothing," Noct added reassuringly. "We'll find out what happened eventually. Maybe not today, but we will."

Prompto just nodded absent-mindedly. He wasn't really there with his head anymore anyway, because no matter if he had already secured his ride home, he still worried about so many things at the same time. Most of all he agonized over what was going to happen if war broke out after all. Nobody needed artists during a war, shouldn't he be learning how to defend himself?

He was still in the queue as breakfast ended, but Noct stayed with him all the time, helping him with his food as they waited. Time after time, Prompto would find little bite-sized treats placed in front of him and he smiled gratefully at his new friend.

This would be a long day but at least there was somebody who got his back.

~*~

As it turned out, Prompto was offered full compensation for the flight that he wasn't able to take. In fact he could choose from either that or an extended stay until the situation was completely resolved. Seeing how he had not enough art material with him to stay sane, he quickly declined that offer. And even if he could buy some supplies in Tenebrae, he much rather preferred to get back home as quickly as possible.

Also, it had been ages since Prompto last rode a train and he was very much looking forward to _that_. When he had been younger, he had collected whatever he could get his hands on about the trains in Insomnia. It was easy and pretty cheap, too, to just go to the tracks and watch the trains together with his caretaker and on his way home from school. He knew exactly how they worked, and - if he was 100% honest with himself, taking the legendary overnight train from Insomnia to Tenebrae had always been somewhat of his dream.

Therefore, he could barely contain his excitement as they stood on the platform for ' _The Leviathan_ ', Lucis' oldest express train. Named after the fearsome goddess of the oceans, which was pretty fitting as it travelled for a very long time under the ocean through a tunnel. Before that, there used to be a ferry between both continents, as the connection between Lucis and Tenebrae had always been important because they were the homelands of the King of Light and the Oracle, and there was a lot of travelling back and forth between the two to meet up and travel around and heal the people of the Starscourge before they could ban the eternal darkness.

Before there were trains - before people had worked out how to use the knowledge of Solheim to build trains again - there were pilgrimage trails, commercial routes along the route where now the tracks of the train were. The Leviathan ran once per day, starting in Insomnia and Tenebrae in the after at about the same time. It wasn't the fastest train - there were faster trains running between both cities throughout the day - but the Leviathan was the symbol of old times, when customer service mattered over speed and people would pay atrocious amounts of money just to travel comfortably and with prestige.

The train itself was painted in a beautiful midnight blue, the inside looked like it was designed in Tenebrae with its organic shapes and decorative curves. Lots of dark woods and white paint decorated the insides and Prompto couldn't wait to go exploring the train while it was running.

"Everything is prepared. The bus is in one of the cargo cars at the end of the train and we should get to our seats as well," Ignis explained as he fixed his glasses.

"Finally," Libertus groaned. "Now all we need is our hero."

"Yeah, nobody's seen Nyx. Have you tried contacting him, princess?" Crowe asked Noct, who was currently busy watching Prompto being all over the Leviathan, taking pictures and looking at every little detail starry-eyed.

"Nah. But he knows we're here. If he doesn't come... Well, Mercury can take his place," Noct shrugged, before he turned back to the artist with a very soft expression.

"One person more or less doesn't matter indeed," Ignis chimed in as he checked the time. "He has got 5 minutes left. If he isn't here by then... we shall depart without him."

"Isn't that bad? I mean, with the planes not going and trains being overbooked and such," Prompto inquired once he had managed to tear himself away from the train.

"He'll find a way," Noct grinned. "His nickname isn't 'hero' for nothing."

Prompto frowned at him, but before he could ask any more questions or wonder about why Noct felt so confident about Nyx' abilities, the man came running towards them from the general direction of the castle. That was no surprise really, as the train station of Tenebrae was a little outside of the city, but with a direct path up to the castle. It was said to be often used by emissaries from both Insomnia and Tenebrae, so a quick connection to both castles was definitely an advantage on both sides. Nowadays, it was an advantage for tourists who just came for a day visit and only wanted to see the castle.

"Sorry! I got caught up in... _something_ ," Nyx apologized after he had arrived at the group.

"Whatever it was, you're here now," Ignis said and Prompto couldn't help but be reminded of the tone of one of his teachers. It was what he called the 'motherly chiding', despite the fact that he had never really had a mother.

"Yes. Sorry, _mom_ ," Nyx grinned and winked towards Noct's general direction.

The singer smiled back and shook his head fondly.

"Why's blondie here? Did his flight get cancelled in this huge attack-that-wasn't-an-attack-or-so-chancellor-Iedolas-said?" Nyx asked as Prompto tried to get over his confusion that these people would talk like this to a respectable member of the royal court.

"Exactly. Mercury was supposed to take a plane earlier today, but it got cancelled, along with many others until investigations have cleared up _why_ there was a missile from Niflheim _almost_ hitting a plane from Tenebrae on its way to Insomnia. Noct here offered that Mercury would join us on our train ride back home and after some haggling with his airline, we made our way straight here," Ignis explained and looked at Nyx as if he was fully expecting an explanation for the guitarist's absence in return.

"Great," Nyx replied, but didn't offer anything more. Instead, he just boarded the train after Gladio without another word.

Ignis heaved a heavy sigh while Noct barely managed to hide his chuckle behind his hand.

"Is it always like this between you?" Prompto whispered as he followed behind Noctis and boarded the train.

"Not _always_. But most days," the singer grinned before he slung an arm around Prompto's shoulders. "Come on, I'll show you around!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this far! Now, what do you think of that missile attack? Was it an accident? Or does Nifelheim want to start a war?
> 
> Just a heads up: the next updates MIGHT come a little later because both I and Layann will be on vacation starting this week until May. Of course we will try to keep the updates going as regularly as possible, but if we don't manage to, there is no need to worry. The next chapter will come for sure!


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto and Monsters of the Deep take the train back to Insomnia, worrying abou the rumors of the attack that had happened. What is the official version though?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! An update! :D I hope you're all still with us, we will move a little faster this chapter!
> 
> But there's been no art last week, unfortunately.

The Leviathan was even more amazing from the inside than it was from the outside. Once Prompto had put his overnight bag into the little compartment where he and Noct would be sleeping later together with Gladio and Ignis, the two young men went to explore the train. 

They found the car where they could just sit and watch the scenery pass by, which was nice because they could see the ocean from the loop bridge that connected the mountains of Tenebrae with the tunnel under the ocean. Noct had said that it was a very nice view and that they shouldn't miss it. Now that Prompto was experiencing it himself, he agreed that everything else could wait until they were in that first tunnel.

The view was marvelous, taking the loop bridge over the ocean, Prompto could see so many uncountable little islands growing out of the water, covered at the top with pine trees, sturdy enough to withstand the tides. The blond had his camera out and took countless pictures of everything he saw. Birds used the human-made structure to practice their flight, going up and down in breathtaking curves that would break his neck if Prompto ever tried it. If he had wings, that is.

"Look! There's a school of tuna down there!" Noct called out and pointed down into the ocean where Prompto was able to see a collection of shadows moving around. He took a picture of those as well before he followed the line from where they had come from, just to see an even bigger shadow following the school of tuna.

"Noct! What is this?!" he cried, scared that something so big could live in the oceans. He had problems fitting it into the viewfinder of his camera, but he still took as many pictures as he could.

"It's a Bismarck! Oh my god, it's such a rarity to see one from the train! Ah, how I wish I could be down there to _catch_ one of those," Noct groaned as he stared down into the water, his eyes wide and sparkling as he nearly pressed his nose against the glass of the window.

It was then that the creature breached the water and attacked the tuna. Prompto reacted quickly and pressed the shutter down, taking a series of magnificent pictures and he already knew what he was going to do with those. This would be the last motif in his series of paintings of the Six, and he would call it Leviathan. He thought it was fitting that he thought about that on the train called Leviathan.

After the Bismarck had disappeared under water again, Prompto looked up from his camera to recall the last thing Noct had said. The other was still standing up, looking intently down at the spot where the fish had disappeared just now.

"You like fishing? Oh wait, you liked those ads I did in the fishing magazines back then, that was... because you like fishing?" Prompto asked and remembered which of his artworks Noct had liked at first.

"Mhm, just how I like the Backstreet Bros," Noct smiled sheepishly, aware that neither was an appropriate hobby for a young man of his age.. "On our trip to Tenebrae, whenever we camped in between the cities, they'd all make fun of me because I'd rather spend my time alone fishing than at the camp."

"Really?" Prompto echoed, looking down at the picture on his camera's screen. "So you were the one responsible for getting something to eat for all of you?"

"Sometimes," Noct chuckled. "Except that everyone was quickly fed up with having to eat fish every day."

"The grilled beef at the hotel must have been a welcome diversion," Prompto grinned, putting his camera away as they entered the long tunnel. He wouldn't be able to take a picture like this anymore anyway.

"Oh yeah, it was _great_ ," Noct agreed.

"Best meat I've ever eaten," Prompto daydreamed and feeling his mouth water just thinking about the two dinners that he had had during the last two days.

"Oh, wait until you've tried the special grilled meat set here on board," Noct got up from the seat and bragged brusquely. "Come on, let me show you to the dining car."

"Oh my god, can we just _go_ there?" Prompto stared wide-eyed at the singer.

"Of course, why not?" Noct asked, looking a little irritated at the question. "It's a dining car, you're supposed to go and eat there."

"Yeah, but-"

"Wait, you think this is just for rich people right?" Noct smirked and grabbed the blond's upper arm, forcing him up and towards the exit. "Come on, I'll show you around then."

"Well, _excuse me_ for growing up piss-poor, I'm still getting used to all this fame," Prompto protested, but he was already getting dragged along and couldn't do much about it. "You're awfully strong, you know that?"

"Yeah, been training since I was little," Noct admitted, and Prompto could see the tips of his ears turn red in embarrassment. Obviously he hadn't been aware of his own strength and thus also let go of his arm a little.

"Really? That's pretty awesome," the blond smiled and the singer's ears turned even redder.

"Come on, let's go, okay?" Noct grumbled, dragging Prompto through the cars until they reached their destination and ended up standing in front of a clerk to be seated. The blond blinked and was about to head back outside until Noct asked for a table for the two of them.

They were led to a table - much to Prompto's surprise - and Noct ordered the special meat platter for both of them before he could even take a look at the menu and the prices. Not that he had to save a lot of money because the compensation that he got for the flight was actually more than he had paid in total - lump sums were a pretty awesome thing when it came to this. However, he didn't want to waste money on food just on a whim.

It seemed however, that it was occasion enough for Noct to show him just how good meat could be. Reluctantly, Prompto agreed, because he didn't think that he would ever ride this train again in the near future. Noct also ordered red wine for both of them and a bottle of water, "so that the wine won't hit too hard," and then they spent the rest of the evening chatting about this and that, getting to know each other better.

Prompto learned that Noct had learned fishing from his father and how much he adored his father, too. For someone coming from a non-existing family hearing Noct talk so fondly about his was heart-warming. Prompto also learned that Noct's mother died in childbirth and the more he learned about him, the more he wanted to share about himself. But they had known each other only this closely for a few days, and basically only started to get to know each other. How could already share everything that he kept so meticulously hidden, like his name and address?

That were the things that Prompto fretted over while they laughed and ate. Noct had been absolutely right about the meat though, it was _the_ best he had ever eaten and he doubted that he would ever taste anything better in his whole life ever again.

The rest of the evening consisted of Noct and Prompto talking about all the video games they have played in their lives and then ended up playing King's Knight together until late into the night. Even Gladio and Ignis joined them after they had laid down in their respective beds and the match went on until everyone had fallen asleep.

Prompto couldn't remember a day that had been more fun and a part of him never wanted this train ride to end. He wanted to be with these guys always and forever if it meant that they could have this kind of fun every day.

It only felt like a few moments later when he was startled awake by Noct gently touching his side. As he sat up too fast and hit his head on the low ceiling, his heart was still beating from the sudden moment of shock, he realized that he must have fallen asleep thinking about his day after all. Noct must have climbed down from the bed above him just then and he looked a little pale as Prompto watched him wince in sympathy.

"Are you okay?" Noctis asked, his voice sounding small and a little unstable.

"Yeah, um, I'm fine... What's wrong?" Prompto rubbed his forehead until the pain started to subside.

"Nothing," Noct whispered and even Prompto could tell that the lie was obvious. So he just raised his brows at him and waited for a better explanation.

After some fidgeting, Noct confessed, "I had a nightmare... Can I sleep with you? Maybe?"

Eyes widening in surprise, Prompto needed a moment to overcome his shock before he nodded and scooted over. "Sure... the space is pretty tight here, nothing like the bed back at the hotel, but that hasn't been a problem before, huh?" He smiled and lifted his arm, making space so that Noct could lie down on his shoulder.

Noct followed that invitation eagerly, slipping under the covers and wrapped himself around Prompto's body as much as he could without touching anywhere significant. After waking up with the singer wrapped around him like that twice now, Prompto wasn't even surprised anymore.

They lay in silence for a while, both of them just breathing calmly while Prompto combed through the other's silky black strands. When he could feel his breathing slow and become deep and relaxed again, he couldn't help but ask, "If you want to talk about your nightmare... I'm here."

"Not... not really," Noct mumbled, burying his face into the fabric of Prompto's shirt as the hold of his hand on the blond's side tightened. Noct seemed younger then, more vulnerable and definitely more open than anyone else Prompto had ever talked to. An emotion gripped his heart then that he couldn't quite pinpoint, couldn't quite understand. Parts of it was sympathy, but the rest he couldn't quite decide on what it was. Maybe he didn't even want to know either, but whatever it was, it might have been the reason why Prompto pulled him a little closer.

"It helps... I used to bottle up about my nightmares until... I talked to a counselor at my university, after my painting teacher started to get worried about my paintings," Prompto explained softly, twisting a silky black strand around his index finger. He could feel Noct shifting until he looked up at him.

"I found my caretaker... after she died. It was heart failure and... she wasn't _that_ old, but she just... died. Her lifeless body sitting slumped down in her favorite chair and this... uncomfortable angle was a pretty traumatizing sight for a fourteen year old," Prompto said softly even as his throat closed up and he almost choked on his words.

"...I'm sorry," Noct whispered and then petted the blond's side with the same soothing motions that Prompto had used in his hair.

"It's okay," the blond gave back quickly before tears could overwhelm him. "I've... grown since then. I miss her still, but... I've come to accept that death is part of life and I will forever be thankful that she was there for me when I grew up. Even though she wasn't my mother and was away more days than she was there for me, I guess... it was the closest to a family I've ever had."

They kept lying in silence for a while longer, petting each other soothingly until Noct said in a very small voice, "I dreamed I pushed you off the top of a moving train..."

"H-huh? That's... that's pretty specific, isn't it?" Prompto asked, feeling moved that he had made it as far as into Noct's dreams.

"There's more though," Noct sighed. "I didn't know it was you when I pushed you, only... when it was too late. I absolutely hated the guy I pushed... but then I realized it was you and... then I woke up, just about to scream."

"And then you woke me up?" Prompto asked gently, turning his head to look down at Noct in his arms.

The singer nodded and looked back down again, his hand stilling on Prompto's side. "I dunno... maybe I just wanted to make sure it was really a dream... Sometimes my dreams get really vivid."

"Dude, you think you'd go up on a moving train? In the middle of the night?" Prompto chuckled, nudging the other with his chin.

"No... it was daytime and... I was using the magic of the old kings. That was... so... _weird_?" Noct scoffed and starting chuckling. It sounded a little painful, but Prompto could hear that Noct wanted so much to look past this incident that he just joined in his laughter. 

"That's ridiculous. Magic doesn't exist," the blond waved it off. "If anything, there's science and-"

"The old kings could use it," Noct sighed, sounding like he was soon back asleep. "Ardyn used it to save the people."

"Mhm... but that was... _millenia_ ago," Prompto reasoned, but Noct didn't react anymore. He had fallen back asleep and was breathing deeply and evenly. Prompto snorted softly and closed his eyes, listening to the steady clickety clack of the train on the tracks until it had lulled him to sleep as well.

~*~

Back in Insomnia, Prompto said goodbye to his new friends and returned to his own little apartment, where he continued to work as he usually did. He made the painting for Leviathan with the new sylleblossom blue, listening to the music of Monsters of the Deep's mini album on repeat until he realized that he needed more. His daily calls from Noct continued and Prompto found himself calling as well once in a while. They met up whenever Noct's schedule would let him have a night off, and more often than not, they would meet up at the arcade and play games together.

At some point, Noct had started inviting him over to their practice sessions. First because they wanted to go hang out together afterwards and Prompto came to pick him up. It was just fifteen minutes and they were really just wrapping up. Next time was because Prompto had some time to kill before he visited a customer nearby, so he just sat and doodled while Monsters of the Deep worked on a bunch of slower songs. They were a little more emotional than the first songs Prompto had listened to, but then again, they also fooled around a lot with their music and some things weren't meant to be recorded _ever_.

Prompto's favorite song was about _asses_ , and it amused him to no ends that he had helped with the lyrics to that one. Noct had come up with a melody and before they knew it, they had started a jam session and Prompto was singing together with Noct.

From that day on, Prompto came over regularly to sit in with Monsters of the Deep's practice sessions. He would sit with Noct and Nyx, planning and writing lyrics while they came up with melodies and arrangements. It was an amazingly creative process where ideas boiled over quickly and Prompto found himself so inspired that he moved half of his workplace to the practice room of Monsters of the Deep and he would paint while they played their music. 

It took some fumbling and testing until he found a way so that he wouldn't splatter paint _everywhere_. For one, he would put an old rag under his easel. For two, he would face away from the band so that he could work without them getting any paint on their bodies and clothes. Now that it looked like he was performing along with them, he started to do his paintings to the rhythm of the music, performing little dances. It was fun, but that was all what it was for him. He was hanging out with his friends and that was it.

By December, all airlines resumed flying regularly in and out of Tenebrae. It had taken two days for any news station to admit that the launch of a missile had been the reason, and it caused the panic they had tried to avoid, especially in the more rural areas. People in Insomnia stayed relatively calm, because they were protected by what was dubbed 'The Wall' in the last war that King Regis had fought as a prince. 'The Wall' was an intricate missile defence system that could detect and destroy anything aimed for the Crown City and it was one of the reason why many refugees sought their luck in Insomnia. 

Officials from Niflheim had insisted time and time again that no one had fired any missile to their knowledge and blamed a remote outpost with sending off a weather balloon by mistake. They kept adding in how it had _nothing_ to do with the prince's quick visit to Queen Sylvia the day before the incident, which had been broadcasted all over the radio and TV stations. After a very long investigation, officials from Lucis came to the conclusion that since no harm was done and no other missile was launched to leave it at that. The threat of another war had evaporated as quickly as it came and Prompto found himself tremendously relieved that everything had been resolved so quickly.

What remained was the fact that the prince had been in Tenebrae at the same time as Monsters of the Deep and no one had ever mentioned anything about it. But Prompto didn't worry too much; the prince was back safe and sound at home just like everyone else.

As Christmas and the end of the year approached, Noct became busier with his other job and the practice sessions of Monsters of the Deep became rarer and Prompto found himself preparing for his own Christmas party. He sent his annual order for the holiday bucket at _Duscae Fried Chickatrice_ to be delivered on Christmas Day, bought some mulled wine that he would heat up in remembrance of his caretaker and then made plans to meet with Yohsuke and his other artist friends on the day after. It was their tradition to go drinking, celebrate their successes and forget about their not so successful periods and vow to become better the following year.

Noct still called him every day, but he sounded stressed and they didn't talk for hours anymore. The longest call they shared had been an hour long and they had mostly just talked about what games they wanted for Christmas. It made Prompto feel like a teenager again and when the call ended, he fell into a kind of hole that made him paint with slightly darker colors than ever before. He frowned at the formerly empty canvas and, in his frustration about himself, he took a small bucket of yellow paint and threw it at the dark canvas, creating an explosion of sunflower yellow that surprised himself.

He panted, his frustration still there, but dissipating, and put his hand over the running color, smearing it all over the rectangular board that he had just filled with darkness. Biting his lip, he didn't stop until everything was yellow and bright. Only then did he step back and look at his work, his eyebrow twitching. He could feel the paint on his hand drying, flaking, and still there was paint running down the canvas he had used. Still, he wasn't finished, so he stepped back to his work and in the spur of the moment, he reached out and scratched over the yellow paint until the darkness returned and he kept working with all his might until he was satisfied.

To his great surprise, he had scratched the angler fish into the yellow paint, looking almost challengingly at him. He glared back and threw the empty bucket of the yellow paint to the ground with a satisfying smashing sound before he turned around and left for the day. A long workout would do him good.

* * *

December - sometimes even ways into November - had Noctis so busy with charity events left and right that he hardly ever found the time to sleep in between sometimes. Therefore, he napped a lot during the car rides with Ignis, which he had usually used to talk to Mercury on the phone before. He could only manage to stay awake as long as they talked about the band and games but everything else turned out to be a chore and he could hardly pay any attention to whatever they were talking about.

Thus, he could feel the strain on their budding friendship, but there wasn't anything that he could do to change his schedule. On the one hand, he wasn't looking forward to Christmas because it meant the busiest day of his life as he had to visit all the orphanages, but in the evening he would go on a date with Luna and after Christmas was over he could hole up all he wanted and sleep until the next year.

Really, he was looking forward to that date with Luna the most, because it would be slow, they would smile a lot for the cameras and then afterwards Luna would go to her husband and Noctis could sleep. It was the perfect arrangement and even though he didn't love Luna like the media liked to make it seem, he still loved her deeply like the sister he never had.

Their arrangement was mutual. While Noctis and Luna pretended to everybody's darling couple, she could pursue her own relationship. Soon, she and Nyx could celebrate their second wedding anniversary and Noctis couldn't be happier for her because they were still going as strong as they did on the first day.

For example, Noctis knew that Nyx hadn't spent their last night in Tenebrae at the hotel, no, he had left after he had made sure that Mercury and he had each other's backs. He had spent the night in the arms of his wife at the castle of Tenebrae, which had been the reason why he had been late. Of course, Noctis wasn't worried that Nyx would find his way back without them, but it was nice that he had made it back regardless.

Christmas Eve came and with it, Luna arrived in Insomnia. She was immediately followed by the press, paparazzi and official photographers and Noctis was a little scared that this would happen to him as well if he ever went public with an official relationship.

However, he stood still and waited for her on the steps of the Citadel, just down at the bottom with his car waiting which stood on the other side of the fountain. His suit was stiff, but laced with heating pads because he couldn't quite stand the cold. He tried to loosen the collar of his black shirt as the white car of the Oracle's descendant came down the boulevard towards the Citadel.

"Luna," he greeted her, in the casual way that he always addressed her as he took her hand and helped her out of the white car with the decorations of Tenebrae. She wore a flowing white dress that hugged her figure tightly, a white faux fur covering her shoulders so that she wouldn't be too cold. "You look stunning."

"Prince Noctis," Luna greeted him back, her smile playful and warm, just like she always greeted him when they met after a long time. "It's so good to see you again," she added as she leaned in to kiss him on both cheeks, a ritual that he returned in kind. He knew that the media loved it and it was one of the reasons that they thought the prince and the princess were more than just friends.

"Same here. Shall we?" he asked, offering his arm for her to take so that he could round the fountain and get her to his car. That way, the paparazzi could get a bunch of photos that were hopefully enough to satisfy the media's thirst for couple pictures.

"Thank you," Luna smiled and put her hand delicately on his lower arm, nodding as a signal for him to start walking.

"I hope your journey wasn't too tiresome," Noctis asked as he walked slowly to his Audi R8. They hadn't managed to get very far before something cold hit his nose and he looked up into the night sky, seeing more snowflakes starting to fall.

"Look, it's snowing!" Luna beamed and reached out to catch one of the delicate crystals on the palm of her hand. "It's so pretty!"

Noctis smiled back at her and caught a snowflake before it could land on her nose. "Well, seems like we're getting a white Christmas after all."

~*~

"I can't believe you said that! That was _so_ corny!" Luna laughed once they sat in the prince's car and were on their way to dinner in Insomnia's most famous high class restaurant. The idol could hardly stop her laughter the moment the words had been out of his mouth and he guessed that it had taken all of her acting abilities to keep a straight face until they had disappeared from the cameras that were following them..

"It seemed fitting though," he grumbled, opting to glare at the street rather than his company. Once again Noctis was reminded Luna was four years older than he was and that it was one of her favorite past times to tease him until he was all red in the face.

"Yeah, but 'seems like we're getting a white Christmas after all,'" Luna mocked him and Noctis just wanted to roll his eyes, but he had to turn a corner then. "Not even the writers of Game of the Gods would think of a line like that!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm the prince of dorks," Noctis groaned and changed lanes to get into the right one for his next turn towards the tower that housed the restaurant where they would dine tonight.

"You're very cute though, Prince Noctis," Luna smiled and reached out to put a soothing hand on his thigh. He glanced down and felt a little uncomfortable, but didn't worry too much about it. This was Luna and this was about as far as they would go.

Two years ago he might have reacted a little more harshly, but now, he only twitched his leg. Luna smiled sheepishly and moved her hand away again without a word of remorse. It wasn't necessary.

"How are things going? I hear a lot from Nyx, but I'd like to hear how you feel about everything, too," Luna asked, turning her head so that she was looking directly at him.

Glancing over to her, Noctis smiled, feeling his heart beating a little faster when the topic came to his band.

"Oh, it's great! Our mini album is actually doing really good so that Iggy's had to schedule some interviews lately. It's a bit hard to fit all of those in with everything else, but they were fun. Um... I mean, they asked me and Nyx about the music, completely disregarded Libertus and then kept asking Crowe whom she liked best out of the four of us? And, like, not just once, but every. Fucking. Time!"

" _Language_ ," Luna chuckled. "You're the prince of Lucis, not a simple Lucian citizen."

"Yeah, sorry," Noctis sighed and pulled up to the their destination. "Still, it's fun, but some people are just... so bad? Like, how do _you_ do that?"

"What do you mean?" Luna asked, and Noctis just glared at her professional smile.

"You know what I mean," he huffed, having finally found his parking spot and he turned off the car.

"You mean the intrusive questions about my private life that I can easily deflect thanks to _you_?" Luna explained and gave him a long look that Noctis knew all too well as the 'well, d'uh'-look. His friend probably had a fancier expression for it, but that's what Noctis had filed it under.

"...I see," he sighed, resting his forehead on the steering wheel as he steeled himself to get out of the car. "Well, we'll see where this take us, right? Are you ready to go?"

"Ready when you are," Luna smiled and nodded.

"Good," Noctis replied and took another deep breath before he got out of the car. He opened Luna's door and offered her his hand with a small bow. "Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last bit is what I've already pointed out in "[Next to Your Heartbeat](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13981881)." Noctis and Luna pretend to be dating for the press and while it seems all just for fun right now, it also makes a lot sense because the media is more curious about what these two do on their dates rather than what is really going on.
> 
> And look at that! Prompto is feeling the absence of Noct! What will come of that?
> 
> Stay tuned until the next chapter and cross your fingers that we will be able to get it ready until next week! Until then, have a nice Holy Week!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the end of the year. Prompto is moping but gets a phone call that's going to change this!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! We managed!
> 
> No artwork either, but please enjoy this chapter as every week.
> 
> Also: I hope you all had a nice Easter!

Prompto's phone rang and he managed to push his hand out of his blanket cocoon to find the troublemaker. Why had he not turned off the sound again? 

He groaned as he finally found the device and glared at it, now that it had stopped ringing. It was New Year's Eve and he planned on sleeping in until noon, then get up to buy some food and hole himself in to watch the _Idol Battle_ , just like he did every year. It had started out as a tradition his caretaker had set up when they got their first TV set after moving to Insomnia, and to be quite honest, Prompto had gotten so used to it that he didn't know if it would feel like a Happy New Year if he didn't watch it.

To his great surprise, it wasn't Yohsuke or Bellis, but Noct. And not for the first time that day either. Which was probably why the call got through his Do Not Disturb settings now, after five unsuccessful tries.

"Insistent much," Prompto grumbled as he took the call and held the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Mercury, what's up with you? Not awake yet?" Noct asked cheerfully through the phone and Prompto sighed because he realized just how much had missed these calls.

"Unlike you, I _do_ have a regular sleeping schedule," Prompto chuckled as he sat up, brushing his bangs out of his face. Maybe he should get up after all and face life like the adult he didn't want to be right then. 

"Yeah? What are you doing asleep at noon then?" Noct teased and Prompto looked at his phone for a second to confirm that the other was indeed right. 

"Well, I guess I had a long night yesterday," he sighed and pushed himself to his feed to waddle into the kitchenette, starting to prepare some coffee.

"Oh, what happened? Another painting?" Noct asked, sounding honestly curious and Prompto smiled a little more although he knew that the other couldn't see him. But it was still heartwarming to know that there was at least one person on this earth who was genuinely and personally interested in his artworks.

"No, I... went out with the others," Prompto hesitated to reply. 

"Oh."

Funny how one word could convey disappointment so well.

"Well, um, since they say that a hangover only starts once you _stop_ drinking, do you want to come over to our little New Year's party? Libertus said he's gonna cook real Galahdian food for us and I've been looking forward to his meat skewers... They're spicy, so I thought you might-"

"I'm coming," Prompto interrupted him, "if you promise me that there will be a TV with _Idol Battle_ somewhere, I'm game."

"What's with you guys and that stupid show," Ignis lamented in the background as Noct laughed. "It's on. Been watching it every year since I remember."

"Dude, me too! Last year was _so good_ , am I right?" Prompto grinned, taking a deep breath as the coffee started dripping into his cup.

"Yeah, but do you remember the one from 749? That one was _epic_!" Noct gushed and Prompto tried to remember what he had been doing ten years ago. When he did, his face fell and he stared down at his feet.

"No... that was the year when... I was... trying to get by on my own. Sold the TV that year because I had no money to eat," he said softly and then made a face because it just put a damper on their extreme good mood. "Sorry... I didn't mean to-"

"No, I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget you... basically raised yourself," Noct interrupted quickly and Prompto could hear the smile in his voice. He was trying to cheer him up and Prompto really appreciated the gesture.

"Thanks," he said softly. "Still didn't mean to rain on your parade."

"Well, you just made it impossible to stand me up on this one because if you're not here by five then I will personally come and pick you up. Ignis is making that salad you liked so much last time," Noct added and Prompto snorted at the smug grin in his voice.

"You're too bossy, you know that?" he teased. "But fine, where is 'here'?"

"I'll text you the address," Noct replied and a moment later, Prompto felt his phone vibrate in his hands. He looked at it to find an address to an old apartment complex near the Citadel. "It's up on the roof. Don't worry about the cold, we've brought heaters."

"Huh, how did you know? I'm actually super resistant against the cold. Don't mind it at all," Prompto huffed, feeling a blush creeping up his neck at being called out on his habit to cocoon up during the cold winters. How did Noct know about that anyway?

"Oh, so then you keep cuddling up to me in your sleep just because you like my smell or what?" Noct teased and Prompto almost dropped his phone.

"Wh-what the hell?" he stammered instead, turning off the coffee maker before his cup could overflow. "I have no idea what you're talking about, _you_ were the one to climb into my bed when you had nightmares!"

"Ah, well, yeah, but you kept clinging to me in return," Noct gave back, his voice faltering just a little. "Let's just call it a draw and not talk about it anymore, okay?"

"Well, you started it. Take it back," Prompto demanded, although he _did_ like Noct's smell. A lot. He still didn't know what that meant though. He thought they were just friends and didn't want to read more into it.

"Fine, I take back that you're not cold resistant. You're still coming though, right?" he pressed on, and Prompto sighed.

"Yeah I am. You guys would be totally bored without me anyway," he sighed, sipping at his coffee. "See you later!"

"Bye," Noct grinned and they both ended the call at the same time.

Prompto huffed a breath and pressed a hand to his chest, feeling where his heart was still beating much too fast.

Where in the Six's name was all of this going?

~*~

Freshly showered and groomed, with his hair spiked up like it had been when Prompto first visited a concert by Monsters of the Deep, the painter stood in front of the apartment complex and stared up at it. The instructions had been clear: "Just get on the roof, Gladio will find you."

First, Prompto had to get up on that roof though and he had no idea where to find an easy entrance. Didn't this count as trespassing, too? Entering a house where he didn't live?

He paced a bit back and forth until he found a door that stood ajar, inviting him to go inside. Sparing another few looks left and right, Prompto took a deep breath and then stepped inside, quickly finding the elevator a little down the hallway. 

Usually he didn't like these things, but looking for the stairs was probably more of a struggle than waiting for the elevator. Thankfully it came quickly and once he stepped inside he could already smell burnt charcoal and something marinated in a spicy sauce. He realized that those must be Libertus' skewers that Noct had talked about earlier on the phone. He could also smell a few more aromas that he couldn't quite place, but all of them smelled delicious and his growling stomach hoped that the elevator would be up fast.

At last, it dinged and Prompto stepped out and bumped almost into Gladio's chest. 

"Dude... must be _really_ cold if _you_ are wearing a shirt and jacket," Prompto greeted him with a grin that was returned by the taller man.

"Just warming up," Gladio chuckled, patting his shoulder. "Good to see you again, we all missed ya. Noct's over there at the back with Nyx, but if you're hungry, you can go pester Libertus right here," Gladio said and pointed to a plastic table with plastic chairs first before he turned the other way to point to a big barbecue set. There, Libertus was arguing with Ignis over something, probably if the royal adviser was allowed to put his vegetables onto the grill as well or not.

"I'll say hello to Noct first... Where's Crowe?" Prompto asked after he had assessed the situation.

"Bringing decorations with Iris. Should be here any moment now. Oh, Iris is my little sister," Gladio added, but Prompto nodded already.

"Noct told me you have a little sister," he smiled. "It'll be nice to finally meet her."

Gladio's amber eyes narrowed at him and he seemed to be suddenly a lot taller than before. "What did he tell you?"

"Uh... nothing? I mean, nothing more than she's off limits." Prompto raised his hands in defense. "Wouldn't think of doing anything like that, big guy. She's safe."

Gladio stared him down a little longer before he snorted and nodded. "Right answer. You may pass now," he said and stepped aside, doing a mock inviting gesture, too. Prompto chuckled, albeit a little nervously, but he just side-stepped Gladio and hurried over to Noct and Nyx.

"Hey," he greeted them, trying to catch a glimpse of what they were doing on the table.

"Mercury!" Noct's face lit up and he all but jumped to his feet, pulling the painter into a quick hug. "It's been a while. Missed you a bunch."

"Thanks.... and me too, I missed all of you as well," Prompto gave back a little nervously, feeling his cheeks and neck redden again. To distract himself he tried to change the subject by pointing to the papers that were thrown all over the table. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Nothing much, just thinking about which songs to put out as a single soon. The album has been selling well, which got us a new contract for two singles next year with an option for another album if those are selling well enough," Noct explained as he sorted the papers. He picked up three and held them out for Prompto to take. "What do you think?"

Blinking, blond just stared at the papers for a moment, picking up random words, 'fake machine', 'rainbow' and 'blue', but he frowned a little as he read through the rest of the first one. It sounded a lot sadder than the previous songs that he had heard. The second one sounded a little more cheerful and he had to stop reading the last one after the first lines.

"These are very different from the ones I know," he noted as he pushed the papers back to Noct. "Is there a reason for it?"

"The music company wants to sell us to broader masses and thus asked us to write something more... pop music? This isn't what we'd usually do, but Noct has some ideas for the arrangement and I think it's gonna fit," Nyx explained, shuffling a few papers until he picked up the one that Prompto hadn't even fully read. "Besides, something softer can be good..."

"Yeah, but I don't want to make music that the music company likes. I want to make music that's _fun_ ," Noct sighed, picking up another sheet of paper that he had scribbled upon.

"They also wanna showcase him a little more and it's... Well, let's just say that not everyone has been okay with that," Nyx sighed. "Noct, wanna go and and show Mercury here how this one's gonna sound?"

" _[Blue]_? Sure," Noct said and cleared his throat, sitting up a little straighter as Nyx picked up an acoustic guitar, which Prompto assumed was his. He had only ever seen him with an electric guitar before.

"It's gonna be really simple like this, but imagine the rest coming in, like, with a crash," Nyx nodded and then Noct nodded as well, waiting until Nyx gave him another sign and started playing some kind of intro. It was just three notes of a chord playing for a while, before Noct set in with a soft voice.

The same few lines that Prompto hadn't been able to read without thinking that they were so out of line became alive with the soft timbre of his voice and the steady rhythm of Nyx' guitar. It felt like Noct was drawing a line over the background that Nyx created and together the melody turned into an image that wiped out everything else that Prompto had on his mind. 

Instinctively, he held this breath, watching and listening as the music started to swell, as Noct's soft singing voice turned stronger, higher, lower then, louder after a moment. Then everything culminated in a crescendo and as it ended with a soft, playful tune on Nyx guitar, Prompto realized that he had goosebumps all over his body.

"Holy shit... Yeah, that's gonna work," he whispered, still too deep in his own mind to feel like talking any louder.

"Really? Nyx wasn't sure if it wasn't too childish maybe. Then again, he's only saying that because I came up with the refrain," Noct said, helping himself to a few long gulps of water.

"No, I mean, I don't know, but I've gotten goosebumps, that's gotta count for _something_ , right?" Prompto blurted, hoping that his cheeks weren't too pink. All these lyrics about _color_ and _blue_ and _dreams_ and _other worlds_ had his mind reeling and he couldn't help but feel touched that Noct included some of his words into this song. He hadn't thought it would count for anything, but _damn_ , it felt good and Prompto felt itching to paint again. Something with blue on white, like a glimpse into something darker, the dreams of someone maybe.

"You got goosebumps from that? Sure that wasn't the cold?" Nyx snorted and shook his head a little while Prompto denied vehemently that it was the cold. Resting his elbows on his guitar while he grinned at Prompto's flailing, Nyx turned to the singer. "Noct, you gotta work on your singing again. You've been slacking off with the lyrics and the high notes were pretty bad."

"Yeah, sorry, you know how things get. I promise to work on that," Noct sighed, before he turned to Prompto again. "You sure you think it's good? You didn't look too enthused when you glanced at the lyrics first."

"You saw that?" Prompto squawked, slumping in defeat with a little groan. "Sorry, I was just... I don't know? It was so weird to read those words, like... totally something else. But I see where you guys are coming from now and it's awesome!"

Noct chuckled. "Well, it's great that it convinced you right from the start," he said. "You wanna hear the other two as well?"

"Would love to," Prompto replied, pushing forward to sit on the edge of his seat. "Is this how you usually work on your songs? Discussing lines and coming up with arrangements on the go?"

"Sometimes? Other times we just come up with a melody and Noct improvises a few words along with it. This is how he came up with the words for the refrain, too. Just a string of random words he's had on the tip of his tongue," Nyx teased and reached over to ruffle through the singer's unruly black hair.

"Hey," Noct warned and tried to push his hand away, but no such luck. Prompto laughed softly, just to stop when he heard the elevator door open again. He turned around to see Crowe enter with a girl that was a little shorter. She had brown hair that went down to her jawline with a fringe, a cute, round face and was unmistakably Gladio's sister from the way she greeted him loudly with, "Gladdy!" She grabbed his arm and let herself hang down and it looked as if she weighed nothing as the big guy lifted her with a grin.

"Stop playing around, we gotta start decorating," Crowe chided her, but without bite. Her voice was soft just like her gaze, even though she was carrying two big bags full of streamers and other decorations.

"Pretty early you had that idea," Gladio huffed, gently letting Iris back on the ground. "Iris, if you had wanted to decorate everything for the party, why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I _did_ but you didn't listen! So I could only confide this to Crowe when it was too late," Iris whined, jumping up to wrap her arms around Gladio's neck from behind and using her weight to pull him down. She reminded Prompto of a small monkey and he chuckled at his own thought.

"Are they always like that?" Prompto asked Noct softly, leaning over until their shoulders bumped together.

"Yeah, she's got him easily wrapped around her little finger," Noct whispered back so that Gladio wouldn't overhear them. "He doesn't like hearing that though. Likes to think he's the one in charge."

"Seems like it," Prompto chuckled and straightened up again.

"Come on, guys. The quicker you help us the sooner we will be done and stop pestering you," Crowe ordered them around, pulling the streamers from one of the bags after she had set them down.

"We'll help!" Prompto volunteered, jumping to his feet just to pull Noct and Nyx along with him. "Come on, it'll be fun," he grinned and handed some multi-colored pennants to the two guys.

"Hi there, you must be Mercury, right?" Iris said as she approached him.. 

"Um. Yeah, I'm Mercury. Nice to meet you, Iris," he smiled, looking up from the box with colorful streamers. When the girl blushed and giggled, he felt his heart skip a beat. Girls didn't blush and giggle over him.

_How cute._

"I'm sure you know that already, but Noct is a big fan of yours," Iris grinned at him. "It feels like I already know you because he's been talking about you so much."

"Has he now?" Prompto asked, even though it was now his turn to blush. "Well, that's... nice, right?"

"Yup!" Iris smiled and somehow Prompto couldn't shake the feeling that she was considering him as a potential rival. 

"Where do you want this one to go?" Noct asked as he held up one end of a streamer while Nyx was at the other end, looking around to find a good place to hang it from.

"Put them up from this pole to the other," Iris ordered and Noct nodded wordlessly before he did as she said, walking over and leaning up to put the end of the garland around the pole. "A little higher on the left," Iris said, and Noct moved accordingly. "A little more," Iris said again and Noct did it again until the girl seemed to be satisfied. 

Prompto noted that Noct had to stretch so that a strip of his skin was showing where his shirt was riding up and watched the girl curiously as she did it every single time. After five times, Nyx nudged him and said, "You wanna keep staring at Iris indulging her crush on Noct like that or are you actually going to help us?"

"I'll help!" Prompto said maybe a little too quickly, putting up streamers and fairy lights together with the guitarist, always under the strict scrutinization of their bassist.

Crowe had a sharp eye and if they were off just by a millimeter, she told them to do it again until it was _right_. It took them all less than ten minutes to decorate the place in colorful pennants and streamers, making the quickly darkening place a little more cosy and homey. The heaters did a good job, too. Despite the fact that it was almost freezing, no one was really cold and Gladio soon took off his jacket too, showing off his muscles and his enormous tattoo. It reminded Prompto that he wanted to know more about it, like why the big guy had gotten it for example.

They drank cheap beer, ate Libertus' food, which was absolutely delicious and despite himself, Prompto came back for seconds and thirds. Ignis' salad was good too, and as the adviser was sipping delicately on his glass of red wine, Prompto managed to coax the recipe out of him in all its glorious details. He learned that instead of a dark balsamico, Ignis preferred a white one, saying that it wasn't as acidic and bitter as the usual ones. He said that he hoped it would make Noct eat some of this side dish as well, but he simply kept nibbling on meat skewers for the rest of the evening. He only ate some bread when he needed to neutralize the burning in his mouth, which seemed to happen more often than not, judging by how he seemed to eat a slice of bread after each skewer.

They were spicy, but Prompto loved spicy things, so they were perfect for him and he couldn't stop telling Libertus just that. The drummer took the compliment with a grin and ruffled the blond's hair when he kept repeating himself.

All in all, it was the liveliest dinner Prompto had ever experienced, and it was completely different than the dinner he had had with his artist friends, too. It felt like he was eating with a family that welcomed him in their arms without any second questions and just that fact alone was pretty amazing. Prompto had never had a family, he has always thought that his artist friends were the closest he had to something like that after Cidney had transferred to Lestallum. And before that he had only had his caretaker, but after her death when he was 14, the concept of 'family' seemed completely alien and outrageous to him. It was something other people had, but not him. He didn't have a family, he had acquaintances and friends that were supposed to be like family. At least in some ways.

However, what he was feeling then was completely new. Being accepted without repercussions, without anyone expecting anything out of him other than to _be_ with them was a good feeling and Prompto realized that it was exactly what he had always been missing in his life without being able to place a finger on what it was exactly. But now he knew. And it felt great.

As the night progressed, Noct turned on the TV and changed to the station that showed the _Idol Battle_ , and soon they huddled in front of it, yelling when a good song came on and wincing when someone on the stage missed a note or a step. More than once Prompto joked that they should be glad that they didn't need a choreography as a rock band, because that would be even more stressful than just playing instruments and singing on stage.

Noct had just snorted and said that _if_ anyone would have a choreography, he would be the first to do it.

"Of course. You have been practicing the Backstreet Bros every move ever since their first Video came out," Ignis noted dryly, which caused an uproar of laughter from everyone.

"Really?" Prompto asked, wiping a tear from the corner of his eyes. 

"Do you assume I am making this up?" Ignis asked, indignantly pushing his glasses further up his nose.

"Um..." Prompto made nervously, shifting his eyes to the other band members. They all shook their heads and as his gaze ended up on Noct, who just shrugged and started tapping something on his phone. 

"Turn down the volume of the TV for a second," he said to Libertus, who had already lifted the remote and muted the channel with a knowing grin.

Blinking, Prompto fixed a disbelieving grin on his face as he turned around to watch Noctis get into position with their back to them. Then, his phone started blaring ' _Everybody_ ' from the Backstreet Bros and he started dancing. Even though Prompto had absolutely no idea what usual boy band moves looked like, he had to admit that Noct was doing a pretty good job pretending to move like a member of one, singing over the music as well.

It was equal parts hilarious and captivating and soon Prompto found himself copying the moves in sync with Noct's. It was when Nyx got up after some coaxing from Noct that Prompto followed suit, and although he had no idea how to move at all, he was still having fun following Noct's example. Maybe it was the alcohol that had loosened his inhibitions, but he was definitely enjoying himself more than he had thought he would. Dancing some boy band moves with a rich kid rock singer and middle aged guitarist had never been on his to-do list ever in his live before, but here he was. 

Crowe was cheering them on as Prompto shook his hips like he had never done before, and even though he knew that he should feel embarrassment about this, he couldn't help but feel the rush of adrenaline coursing through his body. Was this what performing on stage was like?

Before, when he had been painting alongside Monsters of the Deep's practice sessions, he had felt something similar. Excitement, the need to do better, be flashier, to _entertain_ ; nothing had made his blood race faster except for when he had been painting a few paintings that still held an emotional value to him.

When the song ended, he was completely out of breath although he had been so sure that his stamina wasn't the worst of everyone present here. He was panting and wheezing as he sat back down and emptied the rest of his beer quickly.

"Is it always this exhausting?" he asked after Noct had flopped back down next to him, lifting the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat from his forehead. Prompto shot a glance to Iris and found her staring openly. That is, until she noticed that Prompto was shooting her a shit-eating grin and turned her beet-red head away with a huff.

"Hm?" the singer asked, distracted by Ignis placing a cardigan over his shoulders so that he wouldn't catch a cold. As he held out a blanket to Prompto, Noct had caught on and replied, "Being on stage? Yeah, just... singing is exhausting. Dancing is even worse and with my... sweating, I need a lot of stamina and energy for just one song."

Prompto stared at him with wide eyes, seeing him in a completely new light. He hadn't realized how much hard work all of this was. It looked so easy and even though Noct was sweating a lot on stage, Prompto had always thought that it was due to the spotlights and their heat as well as the humid air in concert halls.

"Huh," he said, "guess I gotta train a little more to catch up to you guys then."

Noct's eyebrows shot up in surprise at that, and Prompto looked at him baffled until he realized the implications of what he had just said.

"Well, if you wanna come up on stage with us, you're more than welcome. I'm sure the people want to see you paint as we make music," Noct said warmly, smiling a kind of smile that Prompto couldn't really bear because it was so tender and happy and open that it almost blinded him.

Much like the songs, this went to a place inside of him he hadn't known he needed touched.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The New Year's Party continues!
> 
> This chapter has a lot of songs, lots of people singing and boy band shenanigans. XD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi and hello!
> 
> I'm sorry I'm so late about posting this chapter!
> 
> As I've stated before, we're on vacation. Like, we spent the last two weeks climbing mountains in Japan, exploring the area and being so busy and tired throughout the day (and night) that we managed only now to get back into the loop. 
> 
> This chapter has everyone singing their favorite songs, so be prepared to read a lot of lyrics throughout this whole thing. You can tell me if you recognized all the songs in the comments. ;D
> 
> [Here](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/173030453131/and-some-very-quick-doodles-for-outsomnia-i) are some quick sketches by Layann from "Koala Noctopus" sleep-hugging Prompto and some more of Prompto with his glasses.

The rest of the New Year's party of Monsters of the Deep went down much like the beginning had. The only thing that slowed the cheerful, loud and crazy mood was the moment when Lady Lunafreya came up on the stage of _Idol Battle_. Both Noct and Nyx scooted closer to the TV and everyone seemed to hold their breaths as she sang her ballad, something slow and warm about eternal love.

Prompto might have been imagining it, but Nyx seemed to be moving his lips along each and every word out of her mouth. Somehow, after everything he had experienced with Noct, he wasn't surprised when he had started singing along with her, but for Nyx to do the same thing? That was a bit unexpected.

Lady Lunafreya's performance was completely flawless though, as usual. It held something ethereal, almost spiritual even, her fair skin going well with the pristine white dress that she wore. The broadcast put some video inserts of _Game of the Gods_ into her performance as well, seeing how it was the same station after all. It was the first time that Prompto saw her acting performance and he was surprised to see her fighting in the show with a trident, casting a kind of magic while protecting the King of Light to her best abilities.

Prompto also noted that the actor of the King of Light looked little to nothing in costume as he had drawn him but well. Those paintings were sold and no one had ever complained about that before.

"You guys are big fans of Lady Lunafreya, huh?" he noted as he sipped on his beer after the performance. He had taken a backseat in one of the plastic chairs Gladio had brought up when they realized that sitting on the concrete floor wasn't an option, even with the blankets that they had brought over.

"Yeah, man, Luna's the best," Libertus huffed, handing him another skewer. "She's come a long way since her first album! Nyx here-"

"Is one of her biggest fans, only rivaled by the prince-" Ignis interrupted the drummer and when Prompto turned to look at him, his cheeks were completely red. The painter frowned a little because he hadn't thought that someone working for the royal court would be this weak to alcohol.

"And Noct," Gladio said quickly and nudged Ignis shoulder. "Come on, you said you didn't want to talk about your _other_ job tonight. Let bygones be bygones or however that saying goes."

Prompto blinked and he was thinking that somehow he should be more surprised that Ignis knew the prince, but then again, Ignis _did_ work at the court. Close enough to the royal family to buy art for them. So it was just logical that he would run into one of them sooner or later.

"Well, it makes sense that the prince likes her music," Prompto started, watching Gladio put an arm around Ignis' shoulders to push him down onto another chair. "Since, you know, they're supposed to be dating."

At that, both Noct and Nyx turned around, the former with wide eyes that almost looked like he was close to a panic, and the latter with his eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

Did they _really_ like Lady Lunafreya _that_ much to get jealous over that?

"What do you mean, 'supposed'?" Noct asked, turning around to sit a little straighter.

Prompto blinked again and tilted his head, frowning a little because he hadn't really thought about the choice of his words, it was just the way that he always talked about the relationship of Insomnia's Beloved Prince and Eos' Sweetheart Idol.

"Just, ugh, I dunno? I mean, I don't pay much attention to this, but... I never see them do anything more than holding hands in that really stiff way and go on these _really_ fancy dates, but... that's it? I mean, if it wasn't what everyone _wanted_ to see and if they weren't such a... conservative couple from where they're coming from already, I'd say they're just really good friends," Prompto spilled his thoughts, making a face at himself afterwards because obviously he had already had enough alcohol to turn off all usual his filters.

"Huh, really," Noct asked, and held Prompto's gaze for a moment, before he turned his head away and looked down at his feet with his brows pulled together until a tiny crease appeared between them.

"Well... anyway," Nyx breathed, and got to his feet with a grunt as he stretched his back out. "How about we hold our own Idol Battle? At least until the sun rises in the new year?"

Prompto stiffened. Sure, he had been singing on top of his voice when Noct and the others had been practising their own songs and he had felt rather confident _then_ , but standing in front of a crowd - no matter how small - was something that made him nervous just thinking about.

"Just like last year? Want to turn that into a tradition, huh?" Libertus chuckled, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, I'm gonna go first, 'cause I already know the perfect song!"

"Please tell me it's something else than _Thunderstruck_ ," Crowe groaned, refilling her plastic cup with more beer. And then Prompto was sure he saw her spiking her own drink with some schnapps that stood around as well.

"Nah, but something that's almost as good," Libertus grinned and whispered something into Nyx' ear. The guitarist's eyebrow twitched almost imperceptibly, but he nodded and got his acoustic guitar. He also pulled a beer crate with him to sit on. He strung a few chords and then started playing an elaborate melody that Prompto recognized instantly.

" _Orellica_?" he gasped and Crowe turned her head to look at him.

"You know that?" she asked and Prompto nodded.

"Yeah, I... listen to a lot of music when I draw," he admitted. "And when I'm running... Like, I listen to a lot of music." Prompto snorted, making her breathe a laugh as well.

"I thought you only knew about colors and stuff," Crowe admitted with a gentle smile. "Sorry for that, _kid_."

"I'm not," Prompto started, but shut up because he knew that the very long guitar intro would come to an end soon.

Libertus took a deep breath and was quite a bit off key when he started singing, so much that Prompto had to bite back a wince while Crowe started laughing openly.

" _Say your prayers little one, don't forget, my son, to include everyone_ ," he sang, and Prompto found himself joining in after a moment. Whether it was because he liked the song so much or because he didn't want to hear Libertus bad singing any longer, he didn't quite know. At least Crowe seemed to be relieved that he wasn't singing _Thunderstruck_ by AC/BD and given how that would require a lot more screaming, Prompto could understand where she was coming from.

But, no matter how bad Libertus' singing was, he clearly made that up with effort. So much that everybody was clapping and laughing when he finished, bowing down with a grin and practiced grace.

Crowe was the next one to take the stage. She took her own guitar and started playing, impressing Prompto that she was able to do that as well as playing the bass. It didn't take long for her to start singing, her voice taking a slightly more smokey nature. It took Prompto a moment, but he soon recognized her song as one of Cidney's favorites.

" _Somebody bring me some water, can't you see I'm burning alive. Can't you see my baby's got another lover? I don't know how I'm gonna survive_ ," she sang the refrain and Prompto found himself tapping his foot in the rhythm of the song. Crowe was good, that was completely out of question; she could probably take on the world with her own songs as well. So, Prompto was stunned to realize that she was staying with this bunch of men, wondering about the reason for it, too.

He showed his appreciation by getting up to clap, but even as he was wondering if he should just volunteer with that song he had in mind, Gladio had taken the place on the impromptu 'stage', tapping his foot already. There was no background music, but Ignis was groaning loudly already, slapping a hand over his face in obvious horror.

Apparently, that was Gladio's sign to walk over to the man sitting in a plastic chair and take Ignis' hand. While the bespectacled man rolled his eyes and tried to look away in dignity, the members of Monsters of the Deep started laughing and cheering, giving Prompto the impression that this was kind of a recurring thing.

" _I've been alone with you inside my mind, and in my dreams I've kissed your lips a thousand times. I sometimes see you pass outside my door..._ " Gladio sang in an impressively even voice, keeping his eyes trained on the manager, who looked absolutely done with all of this. Still, he didn't take his hand away, even if he kept on tugging back the hand in Gladio's grip.

"Come on, Iggy, don't be a spoilsport!" Noct laughed and handed him another glass of white wine.

Gladio just grinned and continued singing. " _Hello, is it me you're looking for?_ "

Ignis just sighed again and resigned himself to his fate. He looked away with every pushy line from the bodyguard, and Prompto could see just how much he wanted this to be done and over with. Just as well, it seemed as if Noct pouring him white wine didn't help him in any way and when Prompto remembered that Ignis had been so drunk that he had swayed and needed to sit down before, he wanted to get up and stop Noct from pouring more.

Thus, when the song was over, Ignis excused himself and made a mad dash for the bathroom so that Prompto felt more than just a bit sorry for him.

On the other hand, he tried to figure out what it meant for Gladio to choose a song that sounded so much like a stalker phantasy. Well, on the other hand, it was supposed to be terribly romantic, so maybe that was it? Prompto remembered that Gladio always had a novel nearby, and even though the the title meant nothing to Prompto when he looked at it, he still remembered the artwork on it that looked like one of those cheap romance novels he had seen at newspaper stands before.

So maybe Gladio was the type who just loved cheap romance. 

Before Prompto was able to get fully out of his thoughts and brooding, the next song started and he was getting more and more impressed at how many songs these people seemed to know. Right now, it was Nyx' turn and yet, the song was familiar to Prompto as well.

" _Another head hangs lowly, child is slowly taken_ ," Nyx started slowly and Prompto could _already_ feel goosebumps rising from knowing what the song was about. " _And the violence caused such silence, who are we mistaking? But, you see it's not me, it's not my family in your head, in your head, they are fighting!_ " The crescendo was really something and Prompto had to bite his lip so that the images in his head didn't take overhand. He recalled the videos of war that they had to watch in middle and high school, when the teachers deemed them old enough to know about the horror of the wars past, the one that King Regis led against Niflheim. The one that was obviously still going on in some parts or otherwise there wouldn't be so many refugees coming into Insomnia even _now_.

Also, knowing that Nyx was a refugee from Galahd, it made a lot of sense that he would choose a song about the horrors of the attacks the Empire had driving against them. 

" _With their ships and their bombs and their troops and their guns. In your head in your head they are crying, in your head, in your head!_ "

And Nyx went all out. It was as if he was screaming out his own pain, pouring more emotion into the song and its performance than Prompto would have imagined anybody doing for something just for fun as this improvised _idol battle_. Well, maybe Nyx was just _that_ competitive or just got into the song as he kept stomping his foot down as he sang.

Whichever it was, it helped Prompto steel himself. Because anything after that performance was just going to look bland in comparison. Besides, he had already decided on a song, so he tugged on Crowe's scarf gently, telling her that he would love her to play the guitar for him. 

"Well, kid, since you impressed me with your knowledge about music, it's the least I can do for you. You're lucky, too, because that's one of the songs that Noct liked to sing before we started writing our own," she smiled and picked up her guitar.

They quickly decided on an octave, and then Crowe started playing and after a deep breath and missing his entrance once, Prompto started singing the best he could.

" _Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go, so make the best of this test, and don't ask why. It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, but in the end it's right, I hope you had the time of your life._ "

Luckily, no one seemed to mind that his singing was without power, that his voice lacked the depth of the others. He felt unsure at first, but no one was laughing, and as he started looking from Nyx to Noct and then Libertus and Gladio, they looked at him with awe. Noct's and Libertus' mouths dropped open as well, and Prompto allowed himself a small, shy smile in the pause before the next verse. He even turned to Crowe who smiled back at him and nodded encouragingly.

" _So take the photographs, and still-frames in your mind, hang them on a shelf in good health and good time. Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial, for what it's worth, it was worth all the while._ "

To be quite honest, Prompto was impressed with himself that he was able to remember all the lyrics so easily. It was one of his favorite songs, yet he had only sung it at karaoke once or twice. Of course he knew the lyrics by heart when they came up, but to remember all of them without being prompted felt like a miracle to him. Also, his voice started to feel heavier, and it was getting harder to sing with every line and by the end of the song, Prompto was sweating with the effort to keep his voice on an audible volume. When he was done, he coughed and cleared his throat several times, baffled by how exhausting singing was after all. It looked so easy all the time, yet it was... hard.

"Wow, Mercury, good job! Didn't know you had it in you!" Libertus said and slapped Prompto's back so hard that the blond almost doubled over.

"Thanks," he croaked, trying to clear his throat again but nothing seemed to help against the hoarse feeling anymore. He reached for his beer and downed it, but somehow it left him with a bad feeling too.

"Here, have some water. And eat another skewer," Noct said, pushing both things into his hand before he took the stage. Nyx was taking his seat by his side and with a very deep sigh, he started strumming some chords on his guitar again that Prompto didn't recognize at all, even if they sounded vaguely familiar.

And then Noct started singing, his voice soft again. " _So many words for the broken heart, it's hard to see in a crimson love. So hard to breathe, walk with me, and maybe nights of light so soon become wild and free I could feel the sun, your every wish will be done. They tell me_ ," he ended and took a deep breath before he started the refrain.

" _Show me the meaning of being lonely_ ," he sang and Prompto wanted to scream because he finally recognized the song. Not that it was one of his favorites, but he had heard the refrain so many times in supermarkets and shopping centers back that he could easily recognize it from there. Also, he wanted to scream because Noct's performance had been so good that he had finally understood what all the girls saw in those kinds of boy groups. Prompto himself had been reduced to a blushing mess and that was another reason why he wanted to scream.

"What the hell!" he croaked, his voice breaking and it wasn't even loud enough anymore to disturb Noct's singing. " _Backstreet Bros_?"

"Of course, he always does that," Crowe snorted. "Don't you know already that he's a big fan?"

"I do, but," Prompto started, baffled. "I didn't recognize that song at all. It's... lighter like that?"

"Mhm, Noct prefers singing a different arrangement than the original song, it's softer and not as... obnoxious as that stupid boy band thing," Crowe sighed, twirling a strand of hair around her index finger before she tucked it back into her loose hairdo.

As Prompto listened to Noct sing, he realized the appeal of the song. He had always groaned and found it annoying, but that was mostly because the girls he had known who liked the songs only ever talked about who their favorite band member was. He had usually put in his earphones and listened to something else because he really didn't want to know what those girls thought about five random guys singing and dancing on a stage for money and fame.

What was most amazing though was that Noct started doing a few dance moves that hardly looked like he had made them up on his own. If Prompto knew it any better, he could probably say for sure that this was the Backstreet Bros' choreography, but how the night had been going down, he was pretty sure that was it. He couldn't help it anymore and started laughing. Prompto wanted to think that Noct looked ridiculous, but he looked like he was having a lot of fun and even if it _was_ ridiculous in more ways than one, Prompto couldn't help but be impressed.

The lyrics were somewhat fitting, too, or at least that was what Prompto thought. Maybe there was a deeper meaning as well, something that he didn't know yet that resounded with Noct so much that he chose this song to sing. Just like Prompto had chosen his song, because the lyrics held a deeper, more personal meaning for him ever since his caretaker had died. And well, he guessed that was what made people like music. Just like art, it was only good if it touched something inside of the one who looked at it or listened to it.

He remembered his promise to Noct, to paint things that would make it more worthwhile to stay awake rather than sleep. Seeing him sing this ridiculous song with all his heart touched something inside of Prompto, making him think that he should maybe try different things, too. Like, maybe something that was so opposite from everything that he usually did.

Maybe standing on a stage would be interesting. Going out, being not so shy and scared of everything anymore. He could be everything at this point, if he just... worked hard enough for it. He had already changed a lot from how he had been ten years ago, an orphan, without a caretaker, scared and broken and all alone in this world. Now he had found his place, knew what he could do and also that he was good at it. At this point, he could only grow and with customers like the Royal Court, he could dare to experiment a little more.

'But', his subconscious supplied, 'what if he failed and became depressed and continued to paint everything in black? Had he already become so dependant on Noct? Had _Noct_ become his muse that he couldn't work anymore without?'

It was ridiculous to think that, but what if that was the case? Shouldn't he try to keep working without letting Noct into his life so that he wouldn't lose his independence?

Well, if the past month had shown anything, then that it wouldn't be as easy as that. Being cut off from Noct and his band made him grumpy and it wasn't like they were hard to contact. He had felt the most productive being with them than ever before in his life, so it shouldn't be too hard to make this codependent. 

Not that Prompto wanted the band to be dependent on him, no. But he wanted to give something back and maybe they could become better together. 

Who knew? Maybe someday Prompto would join the band and learn how to sing, too!

He snorted a laugh just as the song ended, but before anyone could say anything else, Noct threw Nyx a glance and a grin, the man sighed and groaned before he started playing the next tune, something light and playful. It didn't take Noct long to start singing to that and when he did, it was in a high-pitched falsetto. 

" _Take this pink ribbon off my eyes. I'm exposed, and it's no big surprise. Don't you think I know exactly where I stand? This world is forcing me to hold your hand. 'Cause I'm just a girl, little ol' me! Well, don't let me out of your sight. Oh, I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite so don't let me have any rights. Oh, I've had it up to here!_ "

As ridiculous as it was to see a full grown man sing such a song, it didn't _feel_ like Noct was singing it ironically. Just like how he liked the Backstreet Bros and everything else genuinely, the words felt right coming from his mouth. Well, high-pitched and funny, but then again, the singer of _All the Doubts_ sang it just like that as well, because it was meant ironically.

Well, maybe being a rich kid wasn't so cool all the time. For example, if you wanted to be the singer in a band, everyone made fun of you. If you liked boy bands, everyone would also make fun of you. On the other hand, Prompto had always thought that no one would make fun of you if you just had enough money. Then again, Crowe, Libertus, Nyx and Gladio didn't seem like they would ever not make fun of Noct liking all these kinds of things, no matter his stand in their group.

Even if Noct had said that they weren't exactly friends, they were good friends to him for being honest. And that was something that Prompto sometimes lacked. Sure, his friends were encouraging and told him that he was better than he saw himself, so he didn't need another critic. But then, he had only become so hard on himself _because_ no one told him what he did wrong and how he could improve himself.

He had found out all on his own how to do what he did. He knew there was still so much more that he _could_ do, yet he always stuck with the same kind of things. 

Maybe it was time to evolve and say 'fuck the rules'. Especially since he was making up the rules himself in the first place after all. Just like Noct was making up the rules for this band thing himself.

Well, at least it seemed like he was. Then again Prompto could only judge from what he knew so far. Maybe there was some hidden rule for Noct that he didn't know yet and some of the things he had said to be his conviction were just part of that rule. Something he was trying to make the best out of.

Still, whatever it was, Prompto took out his phone and took a picture of Noct rocking ' _I'm just a girl_ ' by _All the Doubts_ , because it was absolutely hilarious.

He applauded both Noct and Nyx when the song finished, whistling along with Crowe who was chuckling when Prompto had a hard time holding back the tears of laughter. No one seemed to be as amused as he was, which made him think that this was also a recurring thing and he wondered, not for the first time, what they had done before deciding to form a band. Had these impromptu ' _Idol Battles_ ' been what they usually did during the time they used to practice?

"Dude, that was awesome," Prompto said as Noct came to sit down next to him. He was still laughing even then, despite the fact that his throat was still a bit sore from going all out earlier with his own singing.

"Thanks," Noct grinned. "How are you? How's your throat? Singing like that for the first time isn't the easiest thing without the right training."

Something about the honest concern in Noct's voice made Prompto feel better at once. He rubbed the back of his head, setting his glasses a little askew. "Yeah... I didn't know it was that hard. I mean, sure, I've been to karaoke and have always been hoarse afterwards, but that was after... a bunch of songs sung? And not just... _one_."

"Yeah, I know," Noct said with a sympathetic smile. "It's hard."

" _Seriously._ How do you do it?" Prompto asked desperately before he sighed. "What is your secret?"

To his surprise, Noct just chuckled. "I was the same as you at the beginning. Then Nyx showed me some breathing techniques and... things to do to train your voice. Just like... just like you run for stamina, you can practice your voice to do the right thing."

"Really? I mean, isn't a voice just... _there_?" Prompto raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Well, yes and no," Noct said and grinned before he took another sip of his beer. "It's _there_ but if you're not careful enough, it is not anymore. And trust me, that's something you don't want."

"Did it happen to you before?" Somehow that made everything different.

"Almost. Nyx stopped me when I wanted to go on and told me to drink a lot of herb tea and rest. And well, he had to forcibly stop me," Noct explained with another chuckle. "He's a good trainer, too. Not just for singing."

"Hm... could you teach me how to use my voice better? I mean, just so I can impress people at karaoke next time," Prompto said and wiggled his eyebrows. 

"Oh, is _that_ what you're doing here? Using my secret knowledge to pick up girls?" Noct teased, his grin still wide.

"Nah. Just wanna impress people in general. I mean, since I'm friends with a rock star, it's the least I can show off with," Prompto snorted and nudged their shoulders together.

Noct started laughing. "Dude, if that's all that you want?"

"Well, for now at least," Prompto grinned. 

"Funny you say that. Because I've had an idea for our next tour and that's something we could need your help with," Noct offered and took a deep breath to steel himself for his next wods. "How do you feel about designing and painting our stage set?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The good news is: Chapter 19 will come soon, as well! I'm not sure if I will be back to the regular schedule of Mondays with the right number of chapters, but the rest will come soon. xD


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> True to his word, Prompto takes his art on stage with Monsters of the Deep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said I'd post the next chapter soon, right? Well, here we are! :D
> 
> I'm almost back to the regular schedule if we manage to keep this up, and I also added Layann as Banira as a co-creator!
> 
> Now, without further ado, have fun with chapter 19!

In the end, Prompto did not just design the stage set for the next tour of Monsters of the Deep which was bound to take place just after Valentine's Day.

With his newfound resolution to redefine himself, Prompto offered to do some live painting on stage. That way, he could try out something new, could see if it was something that he could see himself doing in the near future, too.

Needless to say, Noct was ecstatic about the idea. However, his mood took a nose-dive when Libertus and Crowe came to him just before the first gig and told everyone that they would be leaving the band officially as of that day. Noct's good mood returned though when they said that they would continue to play with them even in the future. They said they wanted to focus on other things beside Monsters of the Deep and that seemed to be good enough reason for everyone involved.

Their departure was a really huge thing for Noct, Nyx and their fans, and as Prompto got ready to go on stage, wearing an oversized t-shirt with the sleeves rolled up so that he could use his arms freely, he wondered if it had to do something with him. Was he the reason why they were leaving?

Then again, whenever they had to answer questions for an interview, all the questions that Crowe had to answer were the typical questions that Prompto expected girls to be asked. ' _Who do you think is the most attractive out of your fellow band members?_ ' and ' _What is it like to play the bass in a band full of men?_ ' or just ' _Are you the one who cooks for the others when you go on tour?_ '

Really, if he had been asked all these questions, Prompto would have left the band faster than anyone could blink. It was dehumanizing. He understood why Crowe didn't want to be asked these things anymore. As a 'silent' member, she wouldn't have to take part in interview at all.

As for Libertus, well, he had been asked by his favorite food stall to help out in the kitchen and help them come up with new recipes. Seeing how it had always been his dream to have his own restaurant with real, _authentic_ Galahdian food. Not the softened Insomnian version of it.

Really, as Prompto listened to ' _Lose Yourself_ ' to find strength in the words, he remembered just how heartbroken Noct had looked. But he was obviously a professional because he said that he understood their reasons and wished them all the best just as he thanked them for keeping doing these things with what was left of Monsters of the Deep.

But that was Prompto's least problem right then.

" _Look, if you had one shot, one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted. One moment, would you capture it or just let it slip?_ " came up for the fifth time in a row now and Prompto still felt as nervous as he had when he listened to it for the first time. He stared at the brushes in his hands, lodged between his fingers like some small daggers.

His fingernails were still dark and dirty from all the times they had practiced together before and he had worked on a banner for the background of their stage until just last night. He hadn't been sure if the paint of the little angler fish among dark, but colorful corals had dried enough to be moved, but so far it seemed like nothing had happened.

He flexed his fingers, fascinated by how his muscles moved under his own skin for a while. His gaze fell to his right wrist, where he had a leather band strapped tightly around his barcode tattoo. He still hadn't showed it to anyone, and still didn't know what it meant. He only knew that it had scared his caretaker and thus, he was also afraid of it himself and didn't feel like ever showing it to anyone else. Therefore, he had bought a set of leather bands to cover it up the best he could. He wore the same thing on his left wrist, just to distract from the fact that he always wore something on his right wrist only. 

" _You better lose yourself in the music, the moment. You own it, you better never let it go. You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow, this opportunity comes once in a lifetime you better_ ," came blaring out of his earphones again and he took a deep breath before he straightened. His back was straight, his shoulders squared and he stepped next to the stage entrance where Nyx, Crowe and Libertus had already taken their positions.

"Is Noct not here yet?" Prompto asked, fumbling nervously with the hem of his shirt as he looked around to catch a glimpse of the singer. They had worked on their t-shirts together earlier, Prompto had rolled up his sleeves all the way before he wrote 'MotD' on the back of his heavy white shirt with black paint. The rest of that paint was now in the hem of Prompto's own cheap shirt, and he didn't expect it to stay clean throughout the hour that they would be standing on stage. He just hoped that he would be okay, but since he was only painting, he could take breaks and breathers, unlike Noct, who had to perform for the crowd all the time.

_Ugh._

Prompto wanted to throw up. The line with ' _mom's spaghetti_ ' came to his mind and he couldn't help but laugh at himself. Maybe it was just his nervousness, too, but he laughed out loud, just to jump out of his skin when something touched his back. 

"What's so funny?" Noct asked as he all but materialized to his right, his left hand heavy on Prompto's shoulder.

"N-nothing. Just... something in my head," Prompto laughed sheepishly, just to groan a moment later. "Is it normal that I feel like I'm dying? Like, I don't want to go on stage, but I... I don't want _not_ to either. If you know what I mean. Ugh, I'm not making sense!"

"You're making plenty of sense," Noct said softly, patting his shoulder before he brushed past him and stood in front of them all. "Alright! We go on that stage and make these people happy! Mercury, don't panic, you got this. We all got this, right?"

"Right!" 

Prompto heard himself cheering along with the others and he wanted to groan. He was _not_ ready! He did _not_ got this. He was a ball of nerves and he was going to fuck this up. He was going to pour paint all over everyone, make the stage slippery and then everybody would break their necks and he would just...

Before Prompto could indeed start to overthink everything again, he took a deep breath and took a look at Noct's squared shoulders as he walked towards the stage. There was no going back now, Prompto thought and even as he did, his feet took him to the stage as well and in pitch-black darkness he found his spot in front of the blank canvas that he had placed on the right of the stage. Once more, he checked that his cans of paint were on the little two tier table next to him, open and ready to use. As Prompto exhaled, Libertus started with the drum solo for ' _awkward_ ' and soon enough everyone chimed in and just like that, Prompto dunked his brush into a can and started putting line after line on the canvas, just like they had practiced before.

And how glad he was that they had practiced it so often. Even as his nerves started to get the better of him, he moved almost automatically, bobbing his head to the music, moving his body with the rhythm as he mouthed the lyrics that Noct sang. Soon enough, the first splashes of paint ended up on his glasses and he was glad that he had put them on, even though he had initially opted for just contacts.

By the end of the song, the canvas was filled with multi-colored splashes and Prompto had a good idea where he would be going with this one. He put some tape over the patch he had just painted to keep it from getting painted over for an effect later on. After that, when ' _Ignite_ ' started, he painted everything over with long brushes until all of his colors had disappeared. He then worked on replacing them with something new, something even more colorful.

It was a whole new technique, something that he had always wanted to try and when he had showed it to Noct the first time four weeks ago, the singer had almost lost his mind. It had been the boost Prompto had needed and had thus worked hard from then on to perfect the technique. 

He really hoped that it was paying off now.

The music kept going on and Prompto kept moving, kept dancing, just like he would do in his own atelier, all on his own. It helped that he wasn't looking at the crowd, that he didn't see just how many people were looking at them. Sure, most of the people in the audience would focus on Noct as he was naturally the focus of attention as a singer, but he knew that it was hard to go unnoticed if you stood in the spotlight.

He didn't dare to turn around. He was too scared. Instead, he focused on his artwork, on everything that he _knew_. And that was the music everyone played, Noct's and Nyx's voices and the sound of his brush moving over the wall in front of him. It was almost hypnotic.

In the end, everything was over faster than he had thought it would be. Even after the encore he could still feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins and it made him giddy and the words kept bubbling out of him.

"Oh my god, that was _so cool_! I can't believe I never did this before!" he gasped as Gladio handed them each a beer. Maybe not the best thing to rehydrate, but Prompto was grateful for it. He chugged down half of it as he and Noct kept complimenting each other excitedly.

"Dude, whatever it is you do with that tape thing, it's _magic_!" Noct gushed and threw an arm around the blond's shoulders. "And the background's awesome as well! When did you say you finished it?"

"Last night," Prompto snorted, ignoring just how sweaty Noct was even after he had changed into a new shirt after the concert. It was one of those they had printed for the fans with their new logo. "You don't know how happy I am that it held up and didn't melt or anything."

"Holy _shit_ , that is a thing?" Noct asked, laughing even merrier than before. "Oh Six, I'm glad it held up, hahaha!"

"Yeah, and it still has to hold up a few more times after this. I'm still not sure if it's safe to move it yet," Prompto grinned, patting his back, just below the big scar so that he wouldn't accidentally make the other squirm. "Best to be careful with it, at least in the next few days."

Somehow that was the cue for everyone to start laughing even more. They had more beer, some cheap fast food Gladio got them in too many bags to count and by the end of the celebration, Prompto felt so dizzy that he could hardly walk straight anymore, let alone go home on his own.

"Is it alright if I crashed here?" he asked, having a hard time to stifle his yawns from where his head rested heavily against Noct's shoulder.

"Dude, that would be, like, 50 shades of bad," the singer replied and started giggling at his own stupid joke. "We could take you to the place where we're staying. Right, Iggy?"

"Well, seeing how we should have left about an hour ago, I guess it's reasonable," their manager replied, adjusting his glasses. "I'm glad we rented this apartment nearby, because the drive back to... _home_ would have been too exhausting. Of course there's space for you as well, Mercury, as it seems that you and Noct seem prone to... sharing a bed."

"Dude, you make it sound like we're sleeping together," Prompto drawled in his drunken stupor. "Let me reassure you: We are not."

"Indeed, that is... _believable_ ," Ignis sighed, sending Noct a look that went straight over the singer's look, but that had Prompto puzzled about its real meaning. But he was too drunk and tired to try and figure it out, so he just stifled another yawn.

Next to him, Noct looked like he was already and positively asleep.

"Yeah, we better get sleeping beauty into his bed or there will be hell to pay when you try to wake him up tomorrow morning," Gladio said as he got to his feet with a grunt and a stretch. "Come on, Mercury, help me lift up this big baby."

"Can't you carry me as well? You sure look like you're strong enough," Prompto whined, straightening himself before he lifted his arms and stretched his back with a satisfying plopping sound in his spine. He all but moaned when it made the dull ache go away for a moment, and watched how Gladio easily lifted Noct's sleeping form over his shoulder.

"Flattery will get you nowhere. You gotta earn being carried around by me," Gladio snorted, smirking where he stood, looking as if Noct weighed absolutely nothing on him.

"What did _Noct_ do then? Tell me," Prompto whined, clawing his way up on the big guy's free arm.

"Maybe some other time," Gladio grinned and jerked his head towards the entrance. "Come on, we better go now or we don't need to go to sleep anymore."

As Prompto whined and filed formal protests, he still followed Monsters of the Deep back to the garage and to their car, leaving the packing up to the rest of their crew. They were about three guys that Prompto might have seen before, but in his nervousness-induced panic mode, he had failed to recognize their faces. Well, maybe tomorrow.

The drive in the car to the apartment complex somewhere nearby was short, but much like the last time Prompto had been in the car with these guys. Well, minus the fact that he wasn't nervous around Ignis anymore nor trying to find out what else these people had been hiding from him.

The apartment itself was much bigger than any other Prompto had ever seen in his life before, with rooms for almost every one of them. Since they had already sorted out who would sleep where before and had decided that Prompto would simply stay in the same room as Noct, it didn't take them long to find their assigned spots each. 

It was only now that Prompto realized that he should have showered and cleaned up all the paint on his skin. Sure, he could just peel off the acrylic paint later, but he would definitely dirty the bed with all the specks on his skin.

"Do not worry about that, Mercury," Ignis had said and for a reason his tone made Prompto all warm and fuzzy inside. "We will clean everything up afterwards, just go to sleep."

As much as Prompto wanted to protest, he had to admit that Ignis was right. The day had been an exhausting rollercoaster of emotions being all over the place, so rest was much needed and appreciated.

"Fine. But don't blame me in the morning," Prompto yawned. "Night Iggy, Gladdy-daddy. You too, big sis Crowe and Uncle Nyx. It's been a great day."

"What the... why am _I_ an uncle to you?" Nyx growled from where he had taken up his spot on the couch. He was facing the entrance and looked exactly like someone who was keeping watch for something.

"Cuz you're the wise one," Prompto smirked and shot some finger guns at him before he disappeared into the room that had been assigned to Noct and him.

The singer still lay on the bed in the exact same way Gladio had deposited him there earlier, all sprawled out over the blankets. Prompto huffed and put his hands into his sides as he looked at the bed blankly to find out the best possible way for him to crawl under the covers and make Noct do the same. 

Well, at least he had also opted to wear the tour shirt after their performance. That thing was clean enough so that he wouldn't feel too awkward in the bed and it was comfortable enough to make a great sleep shirt, too.

"Come on, Noct, _move_ ," he grunted as he started to pull the covers out from under the singer. 

Predictably, Noct didn't move at all and just whined lowly in protest before he did Prompto the favor to roll over just enough so that he could get the blankets out. The bed was at least queen-sized so that the two of them had enough space on either side, but Prompto was still a little wary about getting paint all over Noct when they cuddled up. 

Despite the fact that it had been _weeks_ since they had last shared a bed, Prompto was sure that Noct would still start clinging to him in his sleep. The last time had been as they had nodded off just before the first sunrise, cuddled up in each other so that they wouldn't get cold on that damned rooftop. They had woken up with moustaches drawn on them with a pen that took ages to get off afterwards. He just hoped that this wasn't anything that would get repeated this time.

Prompto wrapped Noct up in the blankets, took off his paint-stained pants and glasses before he crawled under the covers himself. Immediately, Noct latched onto him, wrapped his arms around his torso and entangled their legs until Prompto couldn't move an inch anymore. He sighed, resigned himself to his face and was more than just a little glad that he was so tired he fell asleep on the spot as well.

The following morning found him waking up groggily to the smell of fresh coffee and croissants. He also woke up to some morning wood digging into the side of his thigh that he just wished to ignore. But alas, since it was getting rather insistent, he carefully extracted himself from Noct's vice-like grip and padded over to the nearest bathroom. After a much needed toilet break he could finally feel his headache starting up, slowly taking up his whole head until he had to wince while he washed his hands, so he took a moment to massage his temples.

Well, he guessed he should take a shower, but alas, he would need to have some coffee and/or painkillers first. So, he found his glasses and padded into the kitchen, following the smell of Ebony until he found Ignis.

"Oh great maker of coffee, may I extract a cup of the delicious black elixir out of you?" He moaned, coming up to stand next to their manager. It was then that Prompto realized he was one head-butt away from getting physical with the man as well.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," Ignis said and handed Prompto a cup of steaming black liquid with a smug smile.

"Thank you, Mr. Scientia," Prompto cooed as he hugged the cup to himself, blowing over the surface until he dared to take a sip. He almost made a face at how strong it was afterwards. "Is this how you always take your coffee?"

"Yes, I like my coffee like myself. Hot and bitter," Ignis said calmly over the rim of his mug and Prompto just stared at him for a moment, slack-jawed.

"Who the hell are you and what the heck did you do to Ignis?" he gasped when he felt like speaking again.

The advisor just chuckled and sent a warm smile into Prompto's direction.

"I take it that Noct is still asleep?" Ignis asked and Prompto just nodded. "Well, I take it'll be a few more hours. There are painkillers and fruits on the table, help yourself. Or take a shower."

"Okay, thanks mom," Prompto yawned and padded over to the table before his brain caught up with what he had just said. He whirled around with his eyes comically wide and his mouth open to scream out an apology, but Ignis was already waving it off.

"You're not the first, Mercury," Ignis sighed before he turned around with a conspirative smile. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Okay... thanks, Ignis," Prompto sighed and sank into a chair to nurse on his coffee. 

~*~

The rest of the morning passed in amicable silence, and - as soon as the others were awake - turned into a wild discussion about what they could do once their first official single came out the following month. They would be busy touring until then, and even though they were only staying in Lucis this time around, it would be taxing, but a good test for Prompto. He would find out whether or not this would be the kind of thing that he liked to do or not.

Noct had taken it up himself to teach Prompto some basic things about his voice and how to train it so that he had more stamina singing. It was fun, even though the breathing techniques seemed to be absolutely ridiculous. And not just the first time, _every_ time. However, Prompto learned to get used to them after a while and not burst into giggles every time Noct would do something that reminded him more of a paternity course than singing practice.

They would push and shove each other without care and it was only during their last concert that Prompto noticed the funny looks Gladio and Ignis were exchanging. He realized that they had been there before, those inquisitive, curious looks full of... As if they were expecting something. However, Prompto had no idea at all what those looks meant, and it didn't seem like Noct noticed these looks after all.

In fact, ever since Libertus and Crowe announced that they wouldn't be part of the group anymore, both Noct and Nyx seemed to be lost in their thoughts more often than before. Thus, Prompto didn't blame him that he didn't notice these things. They were more focused on writing and arranging songs than before, too.

' _[Blue]_ ' turned out to be quite experimental, but was still as beautiful as it had been when Prompto had first heard it as an acoustic version. The recording had a lot more synthesizer though, making it less of a ballad and more a rock opera piece. For the refrain, Noct recorded something like a canon and as Prompto listened to it, it was rather hypnotic. Overall, the song turned out more powerful than Prompto had expected and he guessed that it was compromise to what the record company wanted. A ballad at the beginning, a rock hymn towards the end.

Either way, Prompto loved it and he was surprised just how good a band's debut single could be.

The second piece on the single was an instrumental, but it played along the same lines as _[Blue]_ before. Lots of synthesizers and a soft melody that turned into hard rock with scarce lyrics that were also more part of the melody than they held any real meaning. Noct had said that he had been inspired by the way Prompto painted for it, and as he showed Prompto the final song, the blond couldn't help but be embarrassed. It sounded so chaotic, so erratic, but in the big picture, it sounded good in the end.

Well, he couldn't argue with the fact that sometimes you could only ever see the big picture of his paintings if you stepped away from them.

The third song was written and composed by Nyx and when Prompto looked at the lyrics again, he could definitely make out some of the things that he had already learned about the older man. He knew that Nyx entire family - mother, father and his little sister - had been killed in an attack from Niflheim and that it had been the reason for him to flee to Insomnia. Away from where everything reminded him of death, of those whom he had loved and who weren't alive anymore.

Prompto thought that ' _A sad day in the sunlight_ ' was a reflection of Nyx' feelings, a way for him to work through them. It was really beautiful as well, even though Noct had kept complaining that he had to record it so many times that he lost count because Nyx wanted him to sing it just _right_. Well, it wasn't like Prompto couldn't understand the man's perfectionism, but he could also understand how hard it was for Noct who did not have these memories.

Even if Prompto didn't have any of those himself, he still felt closer to Nyx in these moments because his caretaker used to have the same look in her as eyes Nyx had when he talked about his family. He kept talking to Noct about it and was almost flattered to hear that Nyx was satisfied with the emotion in Noct's the next day.

Now, however, they were debating how to do the official video for _[Blue]_.

Neither Nyx nor anyone else was really keen on appearing in such and as they kept on debating what to do, Prompto realized that he knew a way to realize this video.

"I know someone," he said. "He specializes in video installations. I'm pretty sure he can help us."


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Prompto works on the video for Monsters of the Deep's video for _[Blue]_ , he realizes that some things need to change. 
> 
> Meanwhile, Noct struggles to find the right time to say something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND we're back on schedule!
> 
> I'm sorry there have been so inconsistent updates lately, but we're back on track with our schedule. Not sure about next week as our flight back is on Monday/Tuesday, but I am prepared!
> 
> Have fun with this chapter!
> 
> If you wanna know what the video that Prompto is working on looks like, please watch the [Music Video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BXS3VZYdhI) for _[Blue]_.

It had taken Prompto a phone call and the promise to design a poster for his next video installation, which, in retrospect, was rather cheap. However, had he known that he would have to move his hands in the same pattern over and over again, Prompto might just have shot and edited the video himself.

Still, Vyv was a luminary when it came to artful videos so he was Prompto's first choice. They had been at university together in the same photography courses, and became loose friends over that as well. After graduating they had gone into different directions though. Prompto kept working more traditionally with real paints and colors, while Vyv stayed truly digital, working with filters and sometimes chemicals to manipulate the filters to get the right effects on his videos. 

Prompto explained in detail what he wanted and Vyv was quickly all fired up to put his vision on film. They had a similar style of working - rather chaotic, but with an underlying plan - and so the actual shooting turned out to be quite exhausting. Luckily for Noct and Nyx, they weren't required much. Vyv had to promise both Noct and Ignis that he would put the music in the foreground and not their faces, so shooting their lines took an actual time of ten minutes.

The rest, however, took until well into the night and was mostly filming random scraps of paper with the lyrics written on it in Prompto's font as well as Prompto's hands pointing to the words here and there. Then there were other recordings of water and Prompto skipping through his empty sketchbooks and as he had to do that for the twentieth time, he finally boiled over.

"How many times do you want to keep doing that?" he snapped finally, when Vyv told him to go again for the fiftieth time.

"Relax," the other cooed. "Just one more and we're done. For real this time."

"That's what you said twenty times ago," Prompto grumbled, but did as he was told and flipped through his notebook one more time. And then once more, because apparently he had been too slow.

"There, done," Vyv grinned and started to pack up his things.

"Finally... What about the post-processing? How long will it take?" Prompto asked because he was both curious and wanted to know because he knew that Ignis would ask him about dates later on.

"Hm? Oh, I guess all night if you help me," Vyv replied with a grin that Prompto wanted to wipe off his face so badly. Or maybe punch.

"Dude, we've already been doing _this_ for the better of the night! When you said you could do it in a day, I didn't think you'd rope me into it!" Prompto complained, throwing his hands up in the air. He was _this close_ to wrap his hands around Vyv's round neck and squeeze, but he was pretty sure that the other man had already built up too much of a resistance to being choked.

"Hey, _look_ , I'm doing this thing for you and your friends _for free_ , someone's gotta suffer for it," Vyv smirked as he powered up his computers. "Okay, I'll get this ready and start putting things together. Why don't you go and buy us some snacks for the night? I'm sure you've got enough money for that, since, you know, you're selling stuff to the royal court now."

"That was _one time_ ," Prompto started with a growl, realizing a little too late that Vyv had just given him an opening to go out and away from him for a while. So he just sighed and rolled his eyes, wishing not for the first time that he had picked up a calming habit like smoking. Just _some_ excuse to go out every now and then and blow off some literal steam.

"Either way, I'll be out for a while. I'll have some food when I'm back and it'll be _healthy_ ," Prompto huffed as he put his shoes back on. Seriously, what was it with all these people eating junk food all the time these days?

"Yeah, whatever. If you get me some chips, that'd be cool," Vyv replied from his spot behind the set of monitors that he obviously needed to edit his videos.

"Yeah, I'll see about that," Prompto replied, but he was already mostly out of the door already. Once he breathed the fresh air of what was almost spring, but still remnants of winter, he felt immediately better. There was something cleansing about the crisp air in winter and Prompto took deep breaths to let it clean his mind and wash away some of his anger and annoyance.

He startled when his phone started to ring and almost dropped if after he had fumbled it out of his jacket's pocket. One look at the screen told him it was Noct who was calling him.

Of course, who else would it be?

"Hey Noct," he greeted the other, staring up at the dark sky, trying to count the few stars that he could see over the brightly lit city. "Guess what, we just finished shooting everything!"

"Wow, that's great!" Noct said and maybe it was just Prompto's own impression, but he thought that the other sounded a tad sarcastic. "I guess you're not home then, huh?"

"No, not yet," Prompto sighed. "And I don't think I'll be home anytime soon. Vyv wants me to help him with the edit of the video and if I have to judge by how long it took us to get the final scene done, I say it'll take us the rest of the night... and probably a good part of tomorrow, too. Sorry, bud, but I think I have to cancel our singing lesson tomorrow."

"Yeah, if it takes as long as you say it does, you better stay home and sleep for a while. Has Vyv said anything about his compensation?" Noct asked, and Prompto was reminded of when he had first designed the cover and poster for Monsters of the Deep. He smiled to himself as his legs took him around the block to the nearest convenience store.

"Well, not much more than before. Said I shall buy him food and do that poster for him, but... that's all," Prompto replied, checking his wallet for money. He frowned as he realized it was empty and decided to withdraw some more from his account before he did his shopping.

"Really? Wow, that's cheap!" Noct sounded genuinely surprised and once more, that made Prompto smile. From what he had learned in the half year that he had known the other, he had learned that despite the fact that Noct was probably the richest kid Prompto had ever known, he was also the most considerate person he had ever met. He always listened to Prompto complain, but not just Prompto, _everyone_ that he talked to. It was as if he took personal interest in everyone's problems and then tried his best with little things to make it better for them, too.

"Yeah, it is. On the other hand, he seems to be out there trying to torture me personally and I'm almost close to breaking," Prompto sighed as he leaned against the wall outside of the convenience store. "Help me Noct, you're my only hope!"

"Movie quotes won't get you anywhere," Noct laughed and just the sound of it made Prompto smile again. "Really though. We've got the funds from the record company. We can pay him."

"I'm sure you can. But he thinks he still owes me a favor for something I did in university, so this is his roundabout way to pay me back. Not without complaining though," the painter snorted before he became serious again. "On the other hand, the video will be done tomorrow, so that's great, right?"

"Sure is! Never knew that these things could be done so quickly!"

"Well, it turns out that they can't. At least not with how Vyv is working it," Prompto snorted, curling his toes in his sneakers. "Seriously though. Once this is over I'll join you in the better-asleep-than-awake-club."

"You're welcome to hang out there with me any time, dude," Noct chuckled. "If it gets too much, I'll send you Gladio to help you wrestle Vyv to the ground and take our money, okay?"

"Thanks man, the thought is appreciated, but I'll be able to manage this one on my own," Prompto replied, taking a deep breath. "Why are you still awake anyway? I thought Ignis had said you've got an important appointment at your father's company tomorrow?"

"Um, yeah... about that," Noct started and Prompto could sense that he wanted to say something important. However, because it was over the phone, he obviously hesitated. Then again, there were things that were too important to be said over the phone. "Ah, it's... I don't want to bore you with the details, you've got a job to do, don't you?"

"Dude, you know you can talk to me, right? About anything and everything. Well, maybe not how many zeros you've got in your bank account because that will only make me feel bad about myself. It's been a while since I've last sold anything," Prompto noted. He had been too busy lately to paint, with band and singing practice. The latter had turned out to be more physical than he had expected, too, but also more fun than he had thought that would be.

"It's not about that," Noct said defensively and with a nervous chuckle. "But it can wait. I'm holding you back from something, right?"

"Just from buying lunchboxes and chips at the closest convenience store. I'm considering to buy some beer as well, but that won't help me to stay awake," Prompto snorted. "Better opt for Ebony, right?"

"Yeah, but don't drink so much coffee, it's not good for your vocal chords." Noct's warning was warm and gentle and it made Prompto just a little warm and fuzzy inside.

"I'll try to remember that when my head lands hard on the table or whatever I'm supposed to work on," Prompto laughed. "But thanks for your concern. I do know how to stay healthy," he grinned and Noct chuckled.

"That's for sure," he added. "Well, I'll let you do whatever Vyv wants you to do because I want you to sleep sooner rather than later. I'll call you tomorrow?"

"I'll text you first," Prompto promised. "Not sure when I'll be awake. Don't want you to talk to grumpy me."

Noct huffed a snort. "You're never grumpy. Must be talking about someone else, Mercury."

"Nah, I'm grumpy all the time," Prompto replied, grinning at the other's joke. "You never pay attention to that though."

"Oh? Is that so? Well, then I'll pay better attention next time," Noct assured him and Prompto could hear the smirk in his voice. 

"Yeah, you better," he teased. "But you better go to sleep. It's enough if one of us runs without sleep for a whole night."

"Well, it'd be even better if we _both_ got enough sleep," Noct replied. "But I won't hold you back any longer. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Yeah, bye," Prompto smiled and ended the call. He took another deep breath, placed his hand over his fast beating heart and wondered for the hundredth time, where all of this was supposed to go.

* * *

Noctis stared at his phone in his hands and heaved a heavy sigh.

"What is it, Noct," Ignis asked from the other side of the table, where he was sorting papers of the prince to read through first thing in the morning. Noctis planned to read half of them just before he fell asleep in a moment, just so that he would be able to remember the words better.

On the other hand he doubted that he would remember any of these words, not with how his mood seemed to plummet now that he knew Mercury was skipping sleep because of him.

"I couldn't tell him, Ignis," Noctis sighed. "I wanted to, it was even the right opportunity, but..."

"...it is not a matter that should be shared over the phone," Ignis finished for the prince after a moment of hesitation. He smiled sympathetically. "I understand."

"I... I should tell him, the sooner the better," Noctis whined, running his hands through his unruly hair. "It's been... half a year now that we've become friends. I trust him, _you_ trust him, hell, even Gladio trusts him. Isn't it about time to tell him the truth?!"

Ignis smiled gently before he adjusted his glasses. "You are absolutely right. Mercury deserves to know who you really are, especially if he gets even more involved in this matter than he already is. Although I see little more that he can do. He _is_ pretty much part of the band already."

"He is, isn't he?" Noctis confirmed, sounding almost desperate. "We _need_ him, just like he needs us! Hell, even Nyx went to him the other day to ask about some lyrics!"

"Mercury has indeed become valuable to Monsters of the Deep," Ignis nodded, pushing the stack of papers to Noctis. "Please read at least the passages that I marked out for you."

"Thanks," Noctis replied and flipped through the pages. "Who knew that the mayor of Altissia is so tough to negotiate with?"

"Well, your father has said so numerous times, which is why he gave me these precedences. She's worried that you aren't strong enough, much like she had worried your father wouldn't be strong enough to rule over such a vast kingdom justly. It _is_ thanks to her influence that his Majesty has reigned so peacefully all these past years. The occupation of Nifelheim had not been easy and-"

"-it took dad a very long time to convince everyone that he wasn't out to wipe them off the map. Yeah, I heard this so many times now and yet, there _was_ this missile attack back in October and we _still_ don't know who had fired it," Noctis huffed, reading a paragraph about a negotiation with Camelia over free passage for refugees from Galahd.

"So you don't believe the investigators when they say it was an accident?" Ignis inquired, his voice carefully levelled to match his poker face.

"Not one bit. But I don't think they're lying, either," Noctis sighed, feeling suddenly exhausted. "My gut tells me it was on purpose and it was because _I_ was there, but... If that was really the case, I shouldn't be travelling around anymore. I don't want to endanger anyone."

"That is... indeed very noble of you, but there is nothing that you can do until we've found the real culprit," Ignis reassured him as he got up. "Sleep. You will need the full capacity of your wits if you want to impress the Mayor."

"Yeah... I guess you're right," Noctis replied, flipping through the pages to the next passage. "I'll try my best. Thank you, Ignis."

"You're very welcome," his friend smiled, inclining his head in the beginning of a bow. "I'll be leaving you to your own devices now. Good night, Noct."

"Night, Iggy!"

* * *

Prompto frowned at the screen of the ATM. He had checked his balance after quite a few months of not doing so and he was _sure_ that something was wrong with the machine. Or, worse, with his bank account, because the sum he saw was _much_ smaller than he remembered it to be.

He frowned at the numbers. They weren't worrisome yet, but if the decline of his funds continued as rapidly as it seemed to have done recently, he soon wouldn't have enough money anymore to pay his rent.

"Fuck," he breathed as he punched in his PIN to withdraw money anyway. It made no sense to panic now, he just had to sell some artwork again. He took deep breaths as he glared unseeingly at the collection of lunch packs in the refrigerator. Out of spite, he grabbed the greenest salads that he could find, then turned to the chips aisle and chose the flavor that he knew Vyv liked least.

As he turned to the pastries and found one of his favorites on sale, he took a deep breath and took that one as well. On his way to the register he passed by the chips again and put the first flavor back to take another, cheaper one with a more neutral flavor.

Someone owed him big time for this. He just didn't know whether it was Noct or Vyv, he just knew that he needed to score one more sale like the one with the royal court or maybe find someone like Noct who'd pay the high prices for his artwork that he needed to sustain his lifestyle. Even if it was rather austere already. 

Admittedly, he hadn't been paying as close attention to his expenses while he was hanging out with Noct and the others. Sure, he had been invited to most of their drinking nights, but it seemed as if he had completely underestimated the cost of his new wardrobe collection.

Being with Noct and Monsters of the Deep came with the need to be just as fashionable as them and since they seemed to prefer dark colors, it was what Prompto started to wear as well. However, being the nature of these colors and that dark colorings were even more expensive than the pristine white that had always been the Oracle's trademark, Prompto had spent more money on his clothes than he usually would.

He sighed as he paid for everything at the register and then returned to Vyv's workplace. 

On his way back, he stared down at his feet, doing calculations in his head. If his rent was so and so much and he needed money for energy and food, then he could survive on his current funds for another half year. Maybe nine months if he really stretched it thin. That meant that he couldn't get any new clothes though and had to work with what he got.

Also, he would need to start painting more so that he could sell more artworks. He was sure that he could ask Weskham Armaugh for help, too, even if he hadn't contacted him ever since last summer... oh shit, had it been over half a year already? Man, he hoped that the man still remembered him, because all his effort would have been for naught otherwise. He could probably ask Bellis, too, for some contact to put in an exhibition somewhere. Maybe Yohsuke also knew something or somebody that could help him sell some things.

Noct had kept most of the things that he had drawn on stage, said that he would keep them in a storage room for later. Whatever _later_ meant.

Ah, Prompto was glad they had finally gotten a real record contract, but that didn't mean it included Prompto. Besides, he knew that it wasn't like they needed the money out of the contract, so he didn't know what it entailed in detail.

Whatever it was, Prompto knew that it wasn't enough for him to live off. If he wanted this to work, then he needed to get more out of this. Or work harder and sell his own artworks again. Either way, it was going to be stressful and he really didn't want to miss anything that he was doing now. On the other hand, he could only do so much and he was already neglecting his own art. 

Well, he was reinventing himself through the music of Monsters of the Deep, but that hadn't paid off much yet. Well, he would get paid for the cover for _[Blue]_ , but he hadn't asked for nearly as much as he had for the cover for their debut album, mostly because it had just happened during a band practice.

And now he was working himself to exhaustion for the video for the single.

"Hey man, welcome back! Did you manage to clear your head?" Vyv greeted him as he stepped through the door.

"Hm? Oh, yeah. For a while. Noct says hi and not to work me too hard. He can still pay you," Prompto said as he toed off his shoes at the entrance, venturing to the kitchenette where he unpacked the salads and chips and his pastry.

"Nah, I rather work you. I still owe you for that other time. Not as big as you owe me now, but I still say we're even after this. If you wanna get paid, you gotta ask your rich boy-friend," Vyv smirked, just to pull a face of disgust when he saw what Prompto had brought him for dinner. "Seriously man... salad?"

"Grease will just make you weak," the blond countered as he sat down in front of the second set of monitors, squinting at all the readings and files that were already on them. "I got you chips though, if you really need the fat to keep you going."

"Thanks, you're the best," Vyv replied and promptly put the salat aside, reaching for the bag of chips instead. Prompto resisted the urge to roll his eyes and motioned to the screen instead. "What do you want me to do?"

"Make sure that the videos are timed correctly to the lyrics. I tried my best, but you know the song better than I, so you better keep an eye on it," Vyv explained as his hands alternately put chips into his mouth and worked on his strange keyboard with a trackball.

"...is that all you want me to do?" Prompto asked, because really. He had expected that he was supposed to do more, like, cut whatever material they had into the right size or something.

"Yup! And, well, I want you to make coffee when we need it to stay awake," Vyv replied cheerfully and Prompto couldn't help but snort. "Do you mind if I doodle while I wait then?"

"If you've got waiting time, sure, go ahead. I'm not stopping you. But I don't think you'll get much time for that," Vyv smirked, his eyes moving quickly from one corner of his screens to another as he moved some clips around.

Prompto huffed, but got to work anyway. It was a bit of a hassle to get used to the other's trackball mouse, but working with the trackpad of his old laptop was much harder. He picked up the headphones Vyv had plugged into the computer on his side, and watched the short videos closely, telling Vyv whenever he found a passage where he thought that the timing could be better. 

They worked quicker than Prompto had expected, and soon they had something that looked presentable. Vyv's predictions had been right, he didn't have much time to doodle either, because the other knew exactly what he was doing. The longer the approved clips got, the more Prompto got lost in that short passage during the refrain where Vyv had filmed Noct singing in black and white. The vocalist looked bored, almost impassive as his lips moved in time to the lyrics from the track, but Noct was _nothing_ like that in reality when he was singing his songs. He was so very expressive, so passionate and really, when he was singing he pulled the funniest faces most of the time, pulling up one eyebrow as he tried to get the notes right. It was almost adorable.

Thus, it was weird watching him look so indifferent, so not like himself, and once more Prompto thought that Noct reminded him of someone. No one he knew in person, more like a celebrity or so. But he couldn't place a finger on it. Then again, if he was acquainted with someone from the court - Ignis - he might just have been at a gathering in the background somewhere and then his subconscious had picked up on his face.

Maybe.

Then again, he could already feel a headache coming up because he had been working so hard and couldn't quite focus anymore. He concluded that his mind was playing tricks on him and that he shouldn't worry too much about it anymore.

"I'm gonna make coffee," he announced and got up, stretched and realized that he hadn't been moving for too long.

"Thanks," Vyv said absentmindedly hummed, moving more clips and effects around and before Prompto could become too dizzy, he closed his dry eyes and turned towards the kitchen.

It took them more than a day, but when they were finished by the following evening, Prompto felt more like a zombie than alive. Once he was home, he fell asleep on the couch to the sound of the news announcing that Prince Noctis had successfully negotiated the continuation of the agreement of free passage between Altissia and Lucis. It was celebrated as the prince's first big achievement on the path of his way to the throne, following his father's footsteps.

Prompto managed to turn the TV off as he curled up on his side, facing the wall to hide from the world as he fell asleep almost on the spot.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a few weeks and Prompto has been working hard to get back into the loop. But there's something Noct needs to tell him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for being so being so patient with us this month! I didn't have time so far to reply to all your comments, but I will do that once I'm back home. Tomorrow, we will fly back home, so I hope that everything will become normal again.
> 
> As you might have read on [my twitter](http://twitter.com/makikoigami), I've prepared all the chapters up so far before we went on vacation, so we've only had to edit and post the all the chapters during. So yes, I've written this chapter around Easter. I do hope you will see what I did here. ;D
> 
> Special Thanks go out to K@tleya for sending ko-fis to me and Banira, who got a [Prompto](http://makikoigami.tumblr.com/post/173415126346/layann-still-on-vacation-but-heres-my-little) in return!

Prompto hummed to himself as he stood in his own atelier, working on his newest piece that he would call ' _Sunrise After the Long Night_ '. It was meant as a homage to the celebration of the death and rebirth of Ardyn, who had died after healing innumerable people of the dark plague. The holiday had just been last month and Prompto had used the four days to go out there and acquire new commissions. This set had been a suggestion by Weskham who had apparently had a lot of people asking for motifs of the old legends.

After the Starscourge had wiped out the entire populace of Solheim, it had seemed like it would take over the rest of Eos just as easily. However, the Six granted the power to heal the people to both Ardyn and the Oracle, and together they managed to wipe out the plague in just a few decades.

However, not everyone realized the sacrifice Ardyn made. His brother decided to prosecute and kill Ardyn, deeming him a great danger to this world after ingesting so much miasma. It had changed the way Ardyn looked, made him weak, yet he would still go and heal the people. Throughout all of this, the Oracle supported him, made sure that his word would go out to the people of Eos, just like the words of gods.

One day, Somnus Lucis Caelum had his brother arrested and detained, questioned and prosecuted, blaming him to be an imposter who just claimed to be chosen by the Six. Ardyn was hung up on a cross in the castle's court, high enough so that everyone could see his distorted body.

The Oracle pleaded for his life, prayed and called upon the gods, but for three days and three nights, Ardyn hung on the cross without water or food. It was early morning on a Friday, the 13th day of the 4th month that year that he died, his emaciated body hanging lifeless from the beams of the cross.

The Oracle gathered many supporters to bury Ardyn that day. No one dared to stop them and legend said that they brought him to the island of Angelgard, where they laid down his lifeless body, sealed the entrance of his tomb and mourned the loss of the greatest hero Eos had ever seen to this day.

Meanwhile, it seemed as if the nights turned longer and longer, until the sun wouldn't rise at all anymore. The Oracle called upon the gods and asked for their support, asked them to help Ardyn defeat the disease in the afterlife. It was said that the answer she received was too much for her, and she fell unconscious on the steps towards Ardyn's tomb.

As the Oracle slept, Ardyn, who was still alive, fought the demons in their realm and won, making them vanish. On the third day after he had died, the sun rose again and its warm rays awakened the Oracle from her sleep, just to see Ardyn move the seal of his tomb and come back to the living.

They were both overjoyed to meet again and returned to the people of Eos, who celebrated them with the highest honors. After all, it was Ardyn who had brought back the light.

As Somnus saw his brother return, looking fully human again now that he had wiped the Starscourge off the face of the planet, the King of Lucis fell to his knees and begged for forgiveness and offered to give up his throne to the rightful king, the one that the Gods had appointed rightfully.

But Ardyn just smiled and put his hand upon Somnus' head, asking him to rise as it was not his fault to doubt him. The Starscourge could have easily consumed him, turned him into a daemon just as well and then he would have to be defeated. The dark plague would have lived on and who knew what would have happened then.

Well, as things were, there was no Starscourge anymore, Ardyn was celebrated as a hero on numerous occasions throughout the year, and the Lucis Caelum family had been reigning over their kingdom ever since then. 

After Prompto's last series of the gods, he had decided that he would go with another series of religious themes, but this time with something that more people could understand. He had done his research over the past weeks, neglecting his contact with Noct and Monsters of the Deep in favor of his own work. Thankfully, Weskham had assured him that he knew of a noble family who had expressed interest in both Prompto's work and paintings of the resurrection of Ardyn.

It was the perfect arrangement and it gave Prompto the right mindspace to work on this thing and not end up depressed over the fact that he wasn't doing what his heart told him to do.

As if speaking of the devil, his music was interrupted by the ringtone of his phone and more precisely, by the tone that Prompto had chosen for Noct. He turned off his iPod and wiped his hands on his paint-stained hoodie jacket before he reached for his phone and accepted the call.

"Yo, Noct," he greeted his friend, wedging the phone between his ear and shoulder so that he could continue painting.

"Mercury, hey! You're alive," Noct said in a tone that sounded both relieved and... angry?

"And kicking. Or, well, painting," Prompto replied, deciding that his painting needed more pink.

"Oh, so that's how it is... We missed you at practice this last week," Noct added and his tone became completely unreadable.

"Yeah, um, as I said, I'm pretty busy. You know that no one else but me can do my work," Prompto said, spreading bright pink over the reds and oranges he already had on the horizon of his painting.

"Mhm," Noct replied and fell silent.

Prompto frowned and put the brush away. This didn't seem like a matter that he should only lend one ear to. "What's up? Are you... _mad_?" he asked, wiping his hand clean again.

"What? No, I'm... I don't think I should be... but... I miss you. Even Nyx misses you and he never says these kinds of things," Noct replied.

Smiling gently, Prompto closed his eyes for a second to bask in the soft and gentle feeling that warmed him from the inside before he opened his eyes again and looked at what he had managed that day. It was good enough and he still had enough time to draw one more until evening. And when he was finished with that, he could go and sit with Noct at practice again, right?

"Sorry... but I'm really busy today. If I finish another painting, I might be able to come over tomorrow... For a few hours," Prompto sighed, pushing his glasses further up his nose. They were already pretty dirty and he really missed hanging out with Noct, too. He would tell him that they looked cute, especially with the specks of paint on them. "...I miss you guys as well," he sighed, allowing him to show as much of his real feelings.

"Then why won't you come over then?" Noct all but begged and Prompto huffed, because he could see where this was going. "You can work here as well, you've done that before! We could talk about our next single, the album we're planning and-"

"It's _your_ band," Prompto interrupted him firmly, although it didn't feel like it _wasn't_ his band as well. "I'm a painter, I have my job and - as bad as that makes me sound - I need to earn money from my job to pay for my living."

The other end of the line was suddenly silent and Prompto liked to pretend that Noct was frowning, that he was _pouting_ even, his lower lip pushed forward and pulled to the left side as his perfectly shaped brows were drawn together. Ah, he _missed_ being around Noct so much!

"...I understand," Noct replied, his tone dry and icy that sent a shiver down Prompto's spine, something dropping into the pit of his stomach.

Damnit, that was it. He had managed to destroy the friendship between them. First, because he had pulled back from contacting Noct, and now _this_.

Well, if this was how things were going to be, then he would have to suck it up and live up to his words. 

"Well, then I'll let you paint," Noct added before Prompto could find the right words to continue the conversation, explain himself or apologize. "I'll call you again tomorrow. Bye."

Prompto blinked as the call ended, speechless. What had just happened?

Nevertheless, he had become so irritated that his brush strokes became unbalanced and he had to stop and take a break after a while. If that was what Noct had wanted with his call, well, he had succeeded!

With a growl, Prompto grabbed his keys and stalked back home to eat the salad with chicken that he had prepared earlier. Cooking was much cheaper than eating out and seeing how he had to budget his funds considerably, he had taken up going home while he worked in his atelier. 

He had also accepted a few commissions for posters, so that was what he played around with on his computer while he shoveled green leaves and tomatoes into his mouth. Maybe it wasn't healthy to be working when he was supposed to take a break, but at least it helped him to keep his schedule - and distract himself from Noct.

It didn't last long, however, and he soon had to think about their call again. For all that it was worth, it had been much too short to mean anything. Then again, whatever or _however_ Prompto had said what he had said, Noct had been mad enough to hang up on him.

Well, not _really_ , but that was what it felt like. 

And it was Prompto's fault. For saying that he needed to work for his money.

Prompto knew that he could just call Noct and talk it over with him, but what else could he say? Besides, if he called him now, Prompto knew that he would just get mad in return and if Noct was still mad at him, then they would certainly end this short friendship on bad terms. And that was something that Prompto did not want.

Well, he didn't want them to break up their friendship in the first place, but if that was how things became, then that was the price that he had to pay. He wasn't sure if he would ever go out afterwards and accept another friendship, but he wouldn't be the one to keep up a friendship that could be destroyed so easily.

Thankfully, he chose a much darker topic for his second picture the following day - the actual crucifixion of Ardyn - and could go all out with the dark colors and bold strokes of his brushes. Prompto thought that it would make him feel better as well, but the feeling of loss and anger in his gut wouldn't go away. It had been so bad that he hadn't been able to sleep well, mulling over every conversation he had ever had with Noct. He realized that he hadn't told him his real name yet, but on the other hand, he didn't know the other's real identity either. The only thing he really knew about Noct was that he was rich.

He had almost finished his painting by the end of the day, when Quercus yelled from the door, "Hey, Mercury! Your friend is here! You sure he isn't some kind of gang member?"

"Nah, he's just rich," Prompto replied, taking his headphones out. "Did he say what he wants?"

"Just told me to get you. And tell you that you're getting in the car either way," Quercus shrugged. "Gave me clear orders, which is why I think he's, like, you know. The Boss' kid or something."

"Pfft, no," Prompto snorted, but wiped his hands off on his hoodie anyway. "But... I don't think I'm dressed for wherever he wants to take me."

'Unless it's to your own funeral,' his brain supplied and Prompto froze. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open a bit as he realized he had followed Quercus line of thinking maybe a little too far. 

Maybe Noct _was_ the son of the local mafia boss after all. It would explain _a lot_ of things about him, first and foremost why he had so much money and still wanted to have a band, too. Also, it would explain why he dared to wear black, even if he wasn't exactly royal. 

One thing was for sure. Whatever Quercus had just said in jest made actually more sense than anything else Prompto had tried to _not_ think about. 

He could almost see the headline. ' _Young and upcoming artist found floating in local river. He was only 24 and had just sold his first artwork to the royal court. How fitting that the last picture he ever drew was about our Lord and Savior being wrongly crucified?_ ' Or something like that.

"...I'll take my phone with me. If I don't text you every hour... Call me and then the police if I don't answer, okay?" Prompto said gravely, having a lump stuck in his throat all of a sudden.

"What the... you really think they're a gang after all?" Quercus snorted. "Trust me, that boy isn't here to kill you. He just wants to talk to you about something. Did you guys have a fight or what?"

"Kind of," Prompto replied as he took off his hoodie after all. It would be warm enough and, well, he started to like showing off his arms ever since he had been officially on stage with Monsters of the Deep. 

"Just... taking precautions. I don't know... what is going on anymore," he sighed. "Thank you, Quercus. I don't think I'll be back today."

"Take a good night's rest. You look like you need it, too," Quercus smiled and patted his shoulder as he gently steered him out of the atelier. Prompto managed to lock the door before he went outside to meet up with Noct, albeit _very_ reluctantly.

For a moment, he stood in front of the print shop, looking around for the black-haired young man, but he saw no one. Instead, he saw a sleek black car standing right in front of him in the no-parking zone. He blinked, before his eyes widened as Noct rolled down the window of the backseat and said, "Get in loser, we're going for a bite to eat."

"Dude, what the heck?" Prompto gasped, feeling that he had no right whatsoever to get into a car like this.

"No questions yet, just get in," Noct ordered and there was _something_ in his tone that had Prompto obey on the spot. He stepped closer to the door that opened for him and even though he saw Noct scooting over to the other side of the back seat, he still hesitated to get in.

"Hey, is this okay? I'm not sure if I'll stain the leather, I mean, I'm covered in paint and-"

"It's _fine_ , just get in," Noct sighed and pushed the door open again. "If you stain it, we'll get it cleaned."

"We?" Prompto prodded after he had finally sat down and strapped himself in.

"Hello Mercury, it's been quite a while," Ignis said from the driver's seat, looking back at the two young men in the rearview mirror. "Are you well?"

"Spiffingly," Prompto gasped, unable to hide his surprise. He looked around and took in the intricate black and gold decorations of this custom made car. "Noct... is this... Is this one of the _King's_ cars?"

He could be wrong. He could be mistaken, but he was pretty sure that it was forbidden for anyone outside the royal court to use the colors black and gold together. Unless...

"Did you borrow it, Ignis?!" he gasped, staring wide-eyed through the rearview mirror at the driver.

"Well, it's not wrong," Ignis replied and raised his eyebrows in what looked liked a shrug.

"Noct?" Prompto then asked, turning to the other.

"Yeah, it's not wrong. Ignis took it and... well, he must have forgotten to exchange it for something less suspicious," Noct replied with a side-glance through the mirror.

"What the... what the hell is all of this about?" Prompto demanded, not taking his eyes off the black-haired young man, who looked a little different from usual.

It was only then that it occurred to him _what_ exactly it was. Instead of his usual wild hairdo, Noct had his hair in what looked like it was once a neatly parted hairstyle. Now, it looked like a mix of both, as if Noct had been trying his best to undo the effort that had kept his hair in place before. He was also wearing slacks and a dress shirt, loosening his tie before he pulled it off all the way. There was a matching suit jacket lying between them on the middle back seat, too. Of course, everything was black and he looked impossibly attractive and the feeling that Noct was someone whom he should know from somewhere was growing stronger than ever before. However, Prompto was _still_ unable to place a finger on exactly whom Noct reminded him of.

"Trust me, I will explain everything, but first... let's go eat something? I'm starving here," Noct sighed, running a hand through his hair. Thus, he further destroyed any and all hairdo that might have been in place before and looked more and more like the Noct that Prompto knew until the blond had almost forgotten that he could look any different.

"Well, seeing how I'm practically starving here, that does sound like a good idea. However I don't-"

"My treat," Noct interrupted him before Prompto could go on again about how he was trying to save money and didn't really have the funds to go and eat at a restaurant. They fell into a silence afterwards that was neither uncomfortable nor amicable, but filled with a certain kind of tension. Yet, Prompto didn't think that it was his place to start the conversation. Noct had something to stay, so it was his time to wait for him now.

Ignis drove them to a tall building near the Citadel, a part of the city where Prompto rarely was because he felt really uncomfortable by the absence of price tags everywhere. It usually meant that the prices were quite atrocious. Prompto would swear that even the coffee shop chains had higher prices here.

"Noct... this... I don't think I belong here," he voiced his doubts meekly. "My clothes are dirty, and I... don't smell that good either..."

"It's fine," Noct said matter-of-factly. "You're with me."

"What the-?" 

"It'll be fine," Noct reassured him again, smiling that tiny lopsided smile that did things to Prompto's heart that he couldn't really explain. It did show him however that Noct was also at least a little nervous about this whole situation.

Once Ignis had parked the car in the restaurant's parking lot, he led the two of them into the building and upstairs. After a quick talk to the maitre-d, he returned to the two younger men and told them to follow the both of them. In his stupor, Prompto only nodded and did as he was told.

As they passed by private booths left and right that looked like they had been placed in an artificial bamboo grove, Prompto was sure that everyone was staring at him, raising their nose and whispering how he looked like a homeless person, how he didn't fit the dress code and should just _die_ on the spot. Or, well, _leave_.

Objectively, he knew that no one was even able to see him through the bamboo shoots and branches, obscured elegantly in what looked almost natural if not for the fact that they were on the twentieth floor in a high-rise building.

Prompto almost bumped into Noctis' back as they came to a halt in front of what he assumed was going to be their table. Or booth, or whatever.

"Please enjoy your stay," the maitre-d said, bowed and turned around to leave. Noct nodded back at him, but didn't really pay attention. Instead, he looked straight ahead with a tiny smile and since Prompto thought that his behavior was uncharacteristically rude, he peered around to find out what distracted him so much.

It was when he saw that their booth was one of the very few with a window that he understood what was so distracting about it. Prompto couldn't say anything about the other booths, but he was sure that this was the one with the best view upon the Citadel, which was lit up in orange and yellow and pink from the sunset that was currently going down. From their position, they could see the orange ball of the sun right in the middle of the towers and it was the best thing Prompto had ever seen in real life.

"Oh my god... what a view!" Prompto gushed, sliding into a seat to get closer to the window. He stopped short only millimeters before he had his hands and face pressed to the window.

"It's awesome, right?" Noct smiled as he slid into a seat on the other side of the table.

"I'll be taking my leave. I trust you will be able to handle this, Noct?" Ignis said softly as Prompto fumbled for his phone to take a bunch of pictures of the sunset over the Citadel, cursing because the camera corrected the colors automatically until they weren't as magnificent anymore.

"Mhm, I think I will be," Noct replied and Prompto turned just in time to see him smile softly. He blushed and deemed it safer to turn back and take more pictures of the sunset. They kept their silence until a waiter appeared to take their orders for drinks.

"What do you want?" Noct asked before saying anything at all and Prompto didn't know what to say.

On the one hand, he wanted the most expensive whiskey to drown his worries in, on the other hand he didn't want Noct to spend unnecessary money on him at all.

"Um... Water, for now," he replied, feeling nervous all of a sudden again.

"Okay," Noct nodded before he turned to the waiter and added, "Bring us a bottle of water and some sweet sake, please."

"Very well. Are there any allergies that we should be aware of?" The waiter asked, looking from Noct to Prompto and back.

"You know I'm not so fond of... _greens_ , but... none that I'm aware of?" Noct replied, prompting Prompto with a small nod to say anything.

"No, nothing. And contrary to him, I'm rather fond of greens. Oh, and spicy food? If that... means anything," he explained. When he realized that he had been babbling on, he blushed, but the waiter seemed to ignore that and just nodded.

"Understood. Well then, please enjoy your stay. I will be bringing your drinks in just a moment," he said and turned to leave.

Once he was out of earshot, Prompto slumped and collapsed upon the table. " _Dude_ , you can't just... _abduct_ me like this! Quercus thought you're from a gang or something!" he whined. "Also, _warn_ me next time, _please_? I'm totally not dressed for this."

"You're fine," Noct replied with a chuckle in his voice. "As long as you don't go and bother other guests they will say nothing."

"...That sounds like you've seen that happen before," Prompto replied in surprise as he looked up again.

"Not here... but yeah. I did," Noct smirked before he became serious again. "Mercury, there's... something that we need to discuss, I suppose."

Prompto blinked, then took a deep breath and straightened his back. He remembered the last nights that he had been worrying about how he ruined their friendship with just one phone call, how sad and angry Noct had sounded over the phone and how much it still hurt to think about all that bring the end of the fun that they had had in the past months. "Alright. I guess... this is it, right? I mean, we're breaking up, right?"

"Wh-" Noct startled, his eyes widening comically. "What the... _Breaking up_?"

"Yeah, I mean, you take me to this really nice restaurant, dressed to the nines to soften the blow... I appreciate that! It's been... a great half year, I'm flattered that you're going all out like this," Prompto rambled, but felt how his eyes started to sting hotly. He blinked rapidly and tried to hold back the tears that threatened to fall any second now. "But! You didn't have to. You could have just... talked to me at the atelier. It would have been fine! I know I'm busy, I know I can't put as much effort into.. into this band of yours and I just... It was nice having you as my friend for as long as it lasted."

Prompto hated that he was so emotional all of a sudden. It had just been half a year! They didn't even know who they really were, so what did it matter that they wouldn't be seeing each other again after this? At least they got a nice, clean cut. He took one deep, shaking breath before he simply said, "Thank you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!
> 
> Nah, just kidding. ;D It's just a cliffhanger! See you all next week!


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What was this about breaking up? Noctis is confused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please excuse the cruel cliffhanger from last week. ^^; It will get cleared up in this chapter, so if you're still here? Thank you and congratulations!
> 
> Banira asked me to tell you that if you want to draw fanart, you're free to do so! It's her birthday Wednesday this week, so you can tell her happy birthday anyway. ;D
> 
> Speaking of which, [here](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/173676630166/outsomnia-chapter-22-is-out-sorry%20) is an illustration of poor Prompto being all confused about this breaking up thing that he has come up in this scene. Or well, confused about what Noct has to tell him.

Noctis stared at Mercury in front of him, coming apart at the seams. What the hell did he think he wanted? _Break up_? They weren't even together or anything, they were just friends, right? And Noctis had absolutely no intention of breaking up their friendship in any way.

In fact, when he had called Mercury the day before, he had come to the sudden realization that there were actually a few things that he hadn't considered before. For one, it was the fact that Mercury had had bills to pay, but also that he had a life outside of Monsters of the Deep.

To Noctis, his band was everything. Sure, he was first and foremost the Prince of Lucis, but when he worked with his band, it was the only time in his life when he felt alive and in charge of something. He knew that this was going to change eventually, when his father's waning health took him from this plane of existence after all, but he hoped that until then they would still have many years together.

So, when Mercury had confronted him with the fact that Monsters of the Deep was _Noct's_ band, his mind had come to a screeching halt, and then jump-started to go a mile a minute. Static had been in his head while he realized that Mercury needed to pay for his own clothes, that he had paid for all of his expenses himself - out of misplaced pride or whatever it was - and that he needed to produce more artworks to finance this style of living unlike the rest of the band. Noctis wasn't stupid, he knew that no average middle-class citizen of Insomnia could afford the lifestyle that the Prince of Lucis and the elite warriors of the Kingsglaive were having. They didn't need to spend their salary for food, so their instruments were easily financed out of their own funds. In Noctis' opinion, it was money well spent, rather than kept in the glaives' accounts to amount interest.

For the first time in the past half year he realized with a pang of regret that this wasn't the case with Mercury. Mercury needed money to live, he had worked hard to get to where he was now and he needed a constant influx to _stay_ there, too. Monsters of the Deep was taking away both time and money that the other _needed_ to keep up his standard to live. What was a fun time and welcome distraction for Noctis could only be described as a high risk for the artist. 

Thus, Noctis had consulted with Ignis after his call and come up with a plan that was best for all of them. However, it included that he had to come clean first.

Which was why there were in this restaurant, where they knew who he was and would handle this situation with discretion. It was definitely upper class, but still cozy enough for Noctis to feel comfortable, nothing like the fancy restaurants that he took Luna to on their public dates. It was personal and confidential so this was the best choice for the occasion. 

He wanted to tell Mercury that he was Noctis Lucis Caelum, the crown prince of Lucis. And yes, he was also Noct, who loved to be on stage and sing loud and fun songs because he loved making people happy.

Just now however, he had managed to mess everything up by making someone very unhappy. Well, if he thought about how things have led to this point, he was pretty sure it was because he hadn't said anything at all since yesterday. To him, Mercury had always been this happy-go-lucky person, but with a relatively tragic past. Not one that would turn him into a loner, but it seemed as if underneath it all, Mercury was also prone to overthinking, to panicking and also to being a little dramatic.

Then again, it was probably all Noctis' fault because he couldn't say things properly. Damn it all, he had thought he had been doing so much better than usual, going out of his way to talk to him whenever he could. He had tried so hard to be open with Mercury, too, had tried his best to voice the things that were on his mind and be open with his praise for his talent and artwork. But he had been blind to the other's struggles and now he had defaulted to his usual self, destroying what trust they had built up in this past half year by going ahead first doing something before he could talk to the other about his plans. It was no surprise that Mercury had jumped to weird conclusions.

"Mercury," Noctis interrupted the artist's muffled sniffling with a gentle voice. "I'm not... I _can't_ even break up with you. We're friends and nothing's going to change that."

"You're not...?" Mercury sniffled, wiping stray tears from the corners of his eyes with the palm of his hand, making his paint-stained glasses sit completely askew on his nose. It was adorable and almost made Noctis smile, but he recalled quickly why he was here and kept a serious face.

He took a deep breath and then got an envelope out of the pocket on the inside of his suit jacket which lay next to him on another seat. It was the first of two that was the result of what he and Ignis had been working on ever since his call the day before.

"First of all... have this," Noctis said and put the envelope on the table, pushing it over to Mercury just as the waiter returned with their drinks.

"Excuse me," he mumbled and placed two pristine glasses in front of them as well as each a small porcelain cup, no bigger than an eggcup. Then he took a bottle of water and filled their glasses and did the same with the chilled sake and the porcelain cups. Noctis shot him a professional smile and nodded him off to go while Mercury was busy staring at the label of the bottle of water. It wasn't like Noctis could blame him; it _was_ a pretty expensive brand of water.

"...This is from Tenebrae?" the artist asked then, obviously more impressed by the bottle with the old-fashioned label than the pretty plain envelope that could contain his future.

"Yeah, they have this... very clear mountain spring that fills up a few bottles every years. People swear that it tastes better than any other water, but I think Lucian tap water is just as good," Noctis explained, shrugging a little. "Don't worry about it. Pretend it's the best water you've ever had and don't think too much about the cost. Remember, it's on me."

"...Seriously, you're either breaking up or proposing," Mercury returned, his eyes narrowing at the envelope. "Is there a ring in there? Because buddy, if that's the case you're going _way_ too fast."

"What... What in the _Six'_ name do you think I want from you?" Noctis spluttered, suddenly blushing as he was flustered himself. "It... has nothing to do with... anything like _that_!"

"Well, it's either that or my death warrant, I don't know which I'd prefer," Mercury huffed and lifted the glass of water to his lips. Judging by the way he was licking his lips, he was probably rather thirsty and Noctis deduced that he must have forgotten to drink regularly throughout the day again.

"It's neither, so why don't you open it?" Noctis sighed and nodded to the envelope that was still on the table, untouched. Mercury raised an eyebrow at him as he placed the glass back down, it was now half full. Then he eyed the envelope again as if it was going to jump into his face and slit his throat the moment he touched it.

However, he had absolutely no reason to be scared in any way and Noctis had to keep himself in check so that he wouldn't reach out and shove the contents of that envelope into Mercury's face.

Eventually, the blond picked the thing up and opened it, his eyebrows shooting up after looking inside.

"...is this the start of an indecent proposal?" he asked then, with a frown that just barely covered his surprise. "If you want to buy my body with _this_ , you're in for the disappointment of your life, buddy."

The surprise hit Noctis so hard that he forgot to blink for a good minute. He just stared slack-jawed at the blond, who kept glancing inside the envelope that held a bunch of bills, all collected to compensate the artist for his expenses of the past months.

What Mercury suggested was completely outworldly though.There was _no way ever_ that Noctis would _pay_ someone for _physical favors_. There had been one time when he had indulged himself in satisfying some physical urges, both because the other party had urged him on and because he was curious, but it hadn't gone too well. After that, no one around him had ever suggested such a thing again and Noctis was still trying to forget about the incident as a whole.

"Dude, _no_!" he replied vehemently and maybe a bit too loudly once he had found his voice again. Mercury blinked in surprise, his eyes widening just a little more and his glasses seemed to slide down a little on his nose. 

"Fuck _no_ ," Noctis reeled back after a moment, continuing with a hiss. He then took a deep breath and tried to sort his thoughts again so that he could say what he wanted to Mercury. 

"This... This is for the past few months, your share from the tour and the album and single profits. Sorry we didn't think about giving this to you earlier, it's... You definitely deserves this more than we all do. Thank you for putting so much of your hard work into Monsters of the Deep. Each and every one of us appreciates what you do for us very much and we wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for your amazing visuals." Noctis inclined his head, before he bowed as far as he could with the table between them and the fact that Noctis was still the prince of Lucis and from his social status alone he rarely ever bowed to anyone.

Mercury stared at him then, looking completely flabbergasted with his wide violet blue eyes. Once more, after he pushed his glasses up his nose, he thumbed through the bills inside of the envelope, seemingly estimating just how much this was.

"That's... a _lot_ of money," he said quietly, subdued.

"You put a lot of work into this," Noctis replied firmly as he straightened, but with a gentle smile playing around his lips. He opened his mouth to say more, but was interrupted by the waiter appearing again to place little plates with their starters on the table.

"Hors d'oeuvre from green barramundi with basil foam on rye toast," the waiter said without being prompted and Noctis could see that Mercury was staring down at the plate, trying to figure out the foam part of this dish. He smiled and nodded, seeing the man off before he turned to his company.

"...how the hell do I even eat this thing?" Mercury grumbled after he had taken a picture on his phone, picking up the dessert fork to poke at the fish.

"Well, I could tell you," Noctis chuckled, conveniently forgetting that they had been talking about more pressing matters. He smiled at Mercury's desperate look and picked up his own fork, starting from the outside of the bigger ones lying at the side of his plate. "For one, you start from the outside and with every course you move up to the middle... and when all of these are done, the ones above are for dessert," he explained gently.

Mercury looked at him with wide eyes and put the small fork back to the top after licking it clean, just to pick up the one on the far left. "...aren't they all the same?" he sighed, poking at the fish again. "And isn't it kind of a waste to use that much?"

"It is, but that's how this stuff works," Noctis shrugged, placing the hors d'oeuvre with the fork into his mouth. He chewed a few times before he added, "Try growing up with all these stupid ass rules... like, don't talk with your mouth full and don't use the fish fork for the pork and such."

Looking at him long and hard, Mercury narrowed his eyes a little and pointed out. "...You're talking with your mouth full."

"Yeah, so what? No one's gonna get hurt, not even anyone's feelings," Noctis replied and swallowed before he sent Mercury his widest grin.

"Dude, you're _insane_ ," Mercury huffed, but smiled when he put the small bite of food into his mouth as well.

"Nah, I'm just used to this shit a lot," Noctis said, feeling all warm and fuzzy at the little smile that showed they were back on the right track and watched the emotions on the other's face change from pensive to surprised and then pleased.

"...this is good," Mercury finally gave his verdict after he had swallowed. "Too bad it's just one piece."

"Get used to it. The taste is great, but nothing beats a KC quarter pounder set with large fries when you're hungry like a ceourl," Noctis admitted. "Quality over quantity or something. Why else do you think rich people are always so thin?"

"Well, I thought they were working out," Mercury replied with a confused tilt of his head.

"Nah, they're starving because they don't know how to cook and no one will ever give them a full meal," Noctis snorted, feeling insanely smug about this well-timed joke.

There was an awkward pause during which Noctis' sudden giddiness faltered and he felt like he had just made the worst joke in the history of jokes ever. The grin froze on his face and he felt like he just wanted to reverse time and stop himself from ever saying something so very stupid that he bemoaned the fact that he and his family lineage were never able to use magic again after the end of the Starscourge.

He had just managed to open his mouth to take back what he had said when Mercury snorted and turned his head to the side to hide his chuckle. Noctis deflated visibly and almost collapsed onto the table as he realized that his joke hadn't been all _that_ bad.

"Dude, that was, like, the worst joke ever," the artist giggled, his shoulders still shaking with barely suppressed laughter.

"Oh, thank the Six you think the same thing," Noctis breathed, his shoulders slumping a little before he joined in the other's chuckling. For some reason, the tense atmosphere around them had dissolved and became nothing more than a distant memory between them.

"Dude, yeah, your jokes are shit," Mercury laughed. "To think I thought you wanted to break up with me, pfft. I should have known you were cooking up something deep and weird like this."

"How is this weird?" Noctis demanded, still laughing although he was getting more and more embarrassed by the little things Mercury had picked up about him already. "You deserve this, probably more than us because we make you do this while we do it for fun!"

"Oh Noct, you don't know anything, do you?" Mercury huffed with an amused frown before he leaned back and sighed deeply. "I didn't ask for anything in return _because_ I was having so much fun! I love the music that you make, it inspires me and I felt so bad when I realized that I just didn't fit because... I don't. It's not my place and I'm just an artist. I draw, there's nothing I'm supposed to be doing in a band that makes _music_. Just... thinking that hurt. But it's okay, as long as I can support you from the sidelines while I'm still doing my job, that's okay!"

Noctis kept silent as the blond took another deep breath that could also have been a sigh. He opened his mouth to say something, his hand feeling up the second envelope in his jacket's pocket, but Mercury continued before he could even get out one word.

"I love my job and I love working with lots of different people and while it's fun to hang out with you guys on a regularly basis, I am just... _me_. MRCRY. Not a singer, not a songwriter, just someone with a paintbrush and a wild imagination," Mercury finished, nodding to himself.

Something about this rubbed Noctis the wrong way. While his words were true and Mercury was an amazing artist, it didn't sound like he knew about his real value. Noctis adored his artwork, he adored the quirky ideas that the blond came up with for everything and more than everything, he adored the energy that Mercury had for everything. There was so much more about the blond than met the eye and Noctis couldn't help but think that it was sad that Mercury couldn't see himself the way that Noctis saw him.

"Actually," he started then, pulling the second envelope out of his jacket, but was once more interrupted by the waiter who had returned with the next course.

"Creamy potato soup with Tenebraen violet rice," he announced the course and Noctis could see Mercury trying to lean over to catch a glimpse of the next course. He could also see him eyeing the spoon on the far right side of his cutlery before he took a picture of the bowl as well and grinned a little to himself. The waiter took the plates from the hors d'oeuvre with him and once he had disappeared, Noctis continued where he had left off.

"I think that most of what you just said is pure bullshit," he said, calmly crossing his legs as the next envelope rested on his lap. He ignored the soup for now, even as Mercury moved his spoon curiously through it. He stopped mid-movement when the words settled in though.

"Excuse me?" He asked, sounding borderline angry.

"You heard me," Noctis replied, still as calm, but he uncrossed his legs again to lean forward and fix Mercury with the stare that Gladio would describe as his 'no bullshit'-look. "You are amazing, talented and _so_ creative and you're not scared at all to go out of your comfort zone to stand on a stage and do something that is _pretty fucking scary_ and I will not-" Noctis suddenly ended and faltered, realizing that he was just about to order the artist around, just like the royal brat everyone thought he was. Instead, he remembered his lessons in diplomacy and changed his tone from an order to a pleas. "Please, don't talk yourself down."

Mercury stared back at him and took a deep breath, blinking a few times before he wiped the corner of his eyes and snorted a laugh.

"Dude, have you ever thought about how this is how I stay sane?" the blond asked, taking a deep breath. "I know I'm not bad. Can't be. I know that I am where I am because I've got some talent and passion and worked hard. But do you know how many times I stand in front of a canvas and think 'a three-year-old could have done this,' or 'this isn't really anything knew, surely a lot of people must have had the same idea,' and 'I'm sure there are people out there who could do this so much better than I'? How it makes me think that I should do things that are more complicated and refined than just splashes of paint on canvas? How I should be pushing myself harder than I already do?" He shook his head. "I'm not talking myself down, I'm trying to keep a level head so I won't get frustrated when someone _doesn't_ buy my picture although they spent hours staring at it. I know where I stand, but if I say 'I'm just me,' I remember where I come from and that I can be proud to have gotten this far. I don't need much... I could have bought a faster computer, the newest state of the art music player and... I'm always thinking that I need to produce something that is _worth_ a lot of effort and not just something I scribbled down in 5 minutes, because it would be _so_ easy, but _no one_ in this world needs so many pictures and I just-"

"I do," Noctis interrupted, fed up with how Mercury was belittling himself. All of these arguments were sound and solid and Noctis could see where the other was coming from, but he had seen Mercury's potential. He had seen the passion and ease with which he produced his artworks, had seen how he had smiled being on stage.

He knew that Mercury had more to give than he could see himself and Noctis selfishly wanted all of that. He wanted to see Mercury grow to his full potential, nurtured and raised until the flame that he kept carefully controlled became an all consuming fire. Because that was the way Noctis felt when he thought about the potential of Monsters of the Deep and he harbored the same passion for Mercury's artwork. 

Which was why he put the second envelope on the table and said. "I do... and I can think of many ways that your artworks can get us even further and... Not just that. I've discussed this with the others yesterday and they were surprised to learn you thought you weren't part of all of this. In the past half year you have put as much time and effort into Monsters of the Deep as every single one of us, so it is only _fair_ that you get your share in monetary compensation. But also, we've put a change request in for our contract with the record company. And... since it concerns _you_ the most, you should read and review it carefully."

With that, he pushed the new contract towards the painter, who just stared at him wide-eyed.

"I kinda wanted to wait with that until the main course, but since we're already discussing this... I thought it would be stupid to postpone this any longer."

Violet blue eyes moved down slowly to the plain white paper envelope and then back up to meet Noctis' gaze.

"So... you _are_ proposing," he said almost toneless, as if he couldn't even believe his own words.

"What the... _Why_ do you have to make this sound all, I dunno, like we're dating or something?!" Noctis groaned and ran a hand through his hair.

"Well, you dress up, you abduct me to this high-class, beautiful restaurant with the best view I've ever seen... What else am I supposed to think?" Mercury huffed, staring down at the envelope with the contract again. It took him a few more moments to reach out and glance inside just how he had done to the first envelope while Noctis was still trying to get his composure back under control.

Why was he so flustered over such a careless sentence? Mercury was right, it _was_ obviously like some kind of significant date and now that he looked at it, he realized this meetup felt almost like one of his dates with Luna as well. He frowned, because something about that thought rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was because that meant they _were_ fake dating after all? But Luna was his friend, one of his best friends, too, so why did this feel _wrong_?

"...Do I have to look at this now? Or can we eat first? I'm sure the chef will be all angry with us if we let this soup go cold," Mercury said and successfully deflected _everything_ that Noctis had just said.

Maybe he should be infuriated and angry. Perhaps he was all of this, too, but when Mercury mentioned the soup, Noctis agreed all too easily that they should eat before the soup got cold. He had to agree that it was magnificent, even though there were so many vegetables in it.

After the soup, Noctis told Mercury that they had asked Vyv to make their next music video as well and that the other artist had asked for two things in return. One was that Mercury would help him again and the second was for a cute girl to appear in the video. Noctis told Mercury though that even if he was helping the video artist, he wouldn't have to work ungodly hours because they would get properly paid. Besides, Iris had been immediately intrigued to play the role and _that_ had prompted Gladio to volunteer as her personal bodyguard. If anyone would be able to stop working people from ungodly shifts, it was definitely his Royal Shield, even though he didn't call Gladio that outside of royal rituals.

Mercury looked surprised but also intrigued and when they were about to discuss the details of the video, the waiter came once more to exchange their now empty bowls with a plate that featured a sizzling piece of meat. The blond almost didn't notice the beans and potatoes on the side at first because he was so busy taking pictures of the beef. He also took a long sniff of the aroma, closing his eyes like Noctis had seen him do many times before. Unlike the prince himself, Mercury seemed to enjoy things with all of his senses, sight, smell, taste and sometimes even touch.

Just like that, his eyes widened as he started to cut the steak and it was soft as melted butter. Of course, he didn't know what Noctis knew, namely that this restaurant made the best steaks in all of Insomnia. At least from all the restaurants Noctis had tried out.

During the whole course Mercury kept commenting on the color, texture and smell of the steak and for once, Noctis listened to all these big words to describe food that was simply ' _great_ ' in his book. It was even better than the steaks Ignis made for him sometimes and he told Mercury just as much. He passed the blond his beans as well, because he wouldn't touch these with a stick. Even though they weren't the small red or white ones, those were even worse.

Dessert was great, too, a simple mousse au chocolat with red fruits that was easily Noctis' favorite combination. Mercury kept on commenting on every little thing and Noctis was happy to listen and enjoy the other's way of eating with a childish glee that Noctis hasn't seen in anyone yet.

He should definitely take him out to these kinds of restaurants more, Noctis decided as they finished their meal and kept talking about this and that, mostly songs and music. They made appointments for their next singing practice and after that, Noctis texted Ignis to come and collect them.

They were comfortable friends again and Mercury promised him to read through the contract in return for regular payments for his artwork. There was a moment of panic from the blond when Noctis just got up to leave without paying a bill of any kind, but he was quick to calm the artist's nerves by telling him that this was how things worked for him.

It was only when he was back in his room in the Citadel that Noctis realized that he had never told Mercury that he was the Prince of Lucis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE PLOT THICKENS! But what is this? Noctis failed his mission! He was too distracted by a cute, stylish blonde. XD


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new music video comes out and finally, Monsters of the Deep work on their first real album!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A note for the previous chapter: The contract Noctis handed Prompto has a lot of blanks in it still, where Prompto's supposed to fill in his own details. It doesn't hold the name of the other members, just the band as a whole. But don't worry, the reveal will happen soon! *eyebrow wiggle*
> 
> Also, as it has been Banira's birthday last week, I wrote her a short drabble set in the future of Outsomnia as a present. It's [When I get to it then I'll talk to your eyes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14590065), in case you haven't seen it yet.
> 
> In case you also missed my edit to the Note at the beginning of last chapter, [here](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/173676630166/outsomnia-chapter-22-is-out-sorry%20) is again the illustration of poor Prompto being all confused about this breaking up thing.  
> Later on, there will be fanart for this chapter, too, so make sure to check back as I edit this Note!

Thanks to Noct's generous payment, Prompto almost completely forgot about the contract that he had been handed as well. He managed to finish the commissioned artworks on time, feeling much happier with them after that talk with Noct than before.

May had Prompto busy with the video for _flag on the hill_ , but thanks to the fact that Noct was paying Vyv now, they were able to work in a much more relaxed manner with manageable working hours. They spent one day with Gladio and his little sister filming in the park near the Citadel, because it looked the most like a normal forest. It was fun, mostly because Iris had prepared lunch packs for them and told them a fun story how Noct saved her after she had gotten lost in this very park.

Prompto was unable to miss the looks that Gladio shot her, thinking that he must be trying to warn her to spill too much confidential information in the presence of Vyv. But what was so bad about it? It just showed how sweet Noct was and Prompto finally understood where the girl's barely hidden crush on the lead singer came from. Well, aside from the fact that he was pretty good looking and had a gorgeous smile. Girls liked that these days, right?

Prompto and Vyv spent the last three days of May on getting the filters right. In the end, they were pretty satisfied with their work and Noct looked overjoyed when he watched video. A part of Prompto suspected it was because his face wasn't anywhere in this video, but he didn't question it. The most important part was that Noct was happy and that made Prompto happy as well.

In June and July, after the new single had been published along with the video, Prompto spent a lot of time with Nyx and Noct working on the lyrics of the songs they wanted to put on their upcoming album, which they were supposed to start recording in August. For Prompto, the whole process was amazing and exciting, because he had never been part of such a passionate group project. Both Noct and Nyx kept consulting him about the lyrics, the song titles, the melodies and in between it all, Prompto kept singing the parts that Nyx used to sing. He started rapping, too, which was fun and not as exhausting as trying to hold the right notes.

Libertus and Crowe would hang out most of the time as well, Crowe more than Libertus because the drummer was quite busy with the work at the restaurant. When he came to band practice, he would usually rant about how his co-chef knew nothing about _real_ Galahdian food and how he had to teach him everything from the scratch. It was amusing and a welcome distraction whenever the trio that was left as members for Monsters of the Deep got stuck on some lyrics, got too deep into something and needed a distraction.

Towards the end of August, the recording for their album was scheduled, which gave Prompto enough time to work on other artworks during the weeks when Monsters of the Deep were on summer break. As he painted in the summer heat of his atelier, Prompto would listen to the news station telling everything about the summer vacation of the Prince of Lucis and Lady Lunafreya in Altissia. After the successful signing of a new treaty between Lucis and Altissia, Prince Noctis had been invited to spend a summer weekend in the floating city, away from the oppressively hot weather in Insomnia and in the calm breeze of the city so close to the ocean. Obviously he had thought it was a good idea to bring his alleged girlfriend along.

Thus, the media was full of pictures of the two doing couple things in Altissia. One news station went particularly wild when they had caught the couple standing in front of a shop that sold wedding dresses, admiring the latest work by super popular designer Vivienne Westwood.

The whole act was done so well that even Prompto started thinking that they were indeed a couple. That, or somehow their PR-manager had stepped up his game to make things more obvious between them. However, he had also made sure to make them seem more natural and even closer than just two friends who went to super fancy dinners and charity events together.

In fact, it seemed as if things were starting to get serious between them. Ever since the beginning of the year, the Prince of Lucis and Eos' Sweetheart had grown closer than ever before, holding hands more openly in public. Once or twice, the media even managed to catch them kissing in the most tasteful way anyone could ever get caught kissing, just so that it wouldn't cause a scandal for public indecency. It had Prompto thinking if princes and princesses still had to stay virgins until their marriage. There was a fine line between voluntarily waiting for the right person and having to wait for that someone.

Prompto didn't know and he decided not to dwell on it for too long either. He wasn't ready to worry about relationships, so he just painted whatever he felt like and soon his portfolio had become quite respectable again. At this point, one third of it consisted of paintings he had drawn while performing with Monsters of the Deep, both to wealthy people who bought it from Armaugh's as well as fans of the band who bid for them during charity auctions the band held on their website every now and then.

Every month, Prompto would get a new envelope with money from Ignis. It was like he was doing regular work and could stop worrying about his constant influx of money for a while now. In the whole process though, he had forgotten about the formality to sign the contract he had been given and when it came to August 27th, Prompto was brimming with nervous energy because it would be the first time that he would ever witness the process of recording music. So far, he had only ever seen live gigs, and while he was aware that the process was different in a studio, being part of it was even more interesting for him.

Thankfully, Mr. Miscentes was nice enough to explain them everything after he showed them around the little studio where they would be recording each their lines one after the other. Or well, their instruments in Crowe's and Libertus' cases.

The fact that they would be doing this separately puzzled Prompto for a moment, because he only ever knew the songs of Monsters of the Deep when everyone played them together. Surprisingly enough, it was pretty easy for them to record the first two songs throughout the first day despite the fact that they weren't doing it as a unit.

Unfortunately, Prompto couldn't do much but observe, so he simply scribbled into his notebook while he listened to everyone do their thing. He only stopped when it was Noct's turn, because while his voice was still not perfect, there was still something to it that pulled in Prompto's attention.

It wasn't too late when they said goodbye and agreed to meet again the following morning, and although Prompto hadn't done much, he felt quite accomplished.

The next day went down pretty much the same, except for the fact that it was Prompto's turn to sing. He cringed when he heard his own voice, which sounded too high-pitched and weird to him afterwards. As they listened to his recording, he just wanted to apologize for each and every time he had opened his mouth to sing before. Had he always sounded that weird?

Both Noct and Nyx assured him that it was fine; they all sounded weird to themselves at first. It was just a matter of time to get comfortable with it.

Prompto highly doubted that, so he asked Mr. Miscentes about what they could do. The man pressed a few buttons on his mixing desk while he played back Prompto's singing and suddenly his voice sounded more and more like he was used to.

When he told the mixer, the man just nodded with a rather enigmatic look, as if he knew something that no one else did and went to get something. It turned out to be a different microphone, one of these old-fashioned ones that Prompto secretly adored because they had such a flair of the older times, long before he had been born. Simpler times, when music was still an art done by a few. But what did it have to do with his singing voice?

"We'll try that the other day, when it's your turn to sing again. It will help to make you sound like what we mixed together just now, Now, it's Mr. Ulric's turn to add the background vocals," Mr. Miscentes smiled at his question and directed Nyx to go into the little booth.

"Ulric? That's his family name?" Prompto asked Libertus as he joined them in the mixing room.

"Uh, yeah? Always has been. Why?" Libertus replied as he exchanged an elaborate handshake with the blond. They walked back into the waiting room while Mr. Miscentes instructed Nyx about the day's schedule.

"Don't think I heard it yet," Prompto frowned as he helped himself to a bottle of water. "Sounds familiar, somehow."

"Huh, guess it's a pretty common name," Libertus said with a shrug before he sat down and started tapping his drumsticks against his legs to practice. Prompto decided to forget about it and went back to scribbling designs for the album cover and booklet.

The next day, Prompto found himself a little bored, but he also didn't feel like drawing. So, he fiddled with his camera, snapping random shots from everyone at the studio, thinking that these shots could be useful eventually.

However, there was one shot of Noct he took in the waiting room that struck him as... special. In that photograph, the singer had just looked up from the notes of lyrics in his hands as he had leaned against a wall after Prompto had called his name and had given him this very intense look. Right in that moment, Prompto had known he had to use the resulting picture for something big. Like, the cover of the album _big_.

"Hey, Noct," he asked, showing the other the display of the camera. "Think we can use this for a cover?"

The other just blinked before a tiny crease formed between his brows, a sure sign of doubt and confusion.

"Do you... think we should? This is a group thing," he finally said, voicing the doubt that was so obvious on his face.

"Um, yeah? I mean, there's no doubt that you're the heart and the soul of this band," Prompto gave back, a little confused himself at this point. Why was Noct always so shy when it came to his own person being pictured? It worked well for the video for _[Blue]_ , so why not for their album cover?

"I'll come up with a few variants, okay? So we can choose which one we'll take, okay?" Prompto offered, but he was already planning to manipulate them to choose the picture with Noct on it. It worked the first time, so why not another?

"Sure," Noct replied with a one-shouldered shrug, before he looked lost for a moment. "Mercury, there's something..."

"Noct, it's your turn!" Nyx yelled from the mixing room. Noct looked up with a frown, obviously disgruntled that he had been interrupted again.

"Sorry, I'll tell you later," Noct said, but Prompto just waved him off. Whatever it was, it could wait.

It turned out that it had to wait one more day as well, because Prompto got a call from a client who wanted to discuss a partner piece to the one he bought just a month ago. And since it seemed like he wasn't needed here, Prompto excused himself and left for the day.

The following day, Prompto walked past a tall, white-haired man with a fierce look in the corridors of the building towards the studio that had become his second home in just three days. He thought that the man looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't make anything of it, so he just assumed that he was another artist, maybe a manager.

Today was Prompto's turn to try out his new microphone, but he didn't feel comfortable enough to do this first thing in the morning, so he let Noct sing first while he chatted with Ignis about the upcoming promotion tour and their plans for it. They had agreed to do it pretty much like the last, with one big painting in the background and Prompto being there on the stage to do live painting, too. However, that meant they needed material and needed to know the exact dimensions for all the stages they were going to go to, which was quite a bit of research work. Thankfully, Ignis was a mastermind at planning things, so he helped Prompto a lot by telling him exactly what he wanted and which venues he had in mind.

He really appreciated Ignis for being so precise.

By lunchtime, Noctis was finished with his lines and Prompto had decided that they all went out to lunch because it was such a nice day and he hated being holed inside while the sun was shining so brightly. He even managed to rope Gladio and Ignis into coming with them, even though they were once again exchanging these glances that meant there was something between them that they didn't tell the others. Usually, Prompto wasn't worried about that, but today, something felt off. It was like... something big and meaningful was about to happen and he had no idea what it was. Or maybe he just felt anxious about singing.

They passed by another studio and Prompto saw the tall white-haired man from before again.

"Ravus," Ignis said to the other man who was obviously someone he knew.

"Ignis... Seems like that little charge of yours still hasn't given up on his dream," the other said and Prompto wrecked his brain for where he had heard that name before.

Sometimes he really cursed the fact that he couldn't properly remember names and faces and especially not together.

However, before Prompto could help his memory and before Ignis could retort anything, there was a whirlwind of white robes and blond hair and Prompto's eyes widened comically as he did recognize this person.

"Prince Noctis! Happy Birthday," one Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret cheered, taking Noct's hands into hers with the brightest smile Prompto had ever seen on anyone. A small, awkward smile played around Noct's lips as he leaned down to return the kiss on his cheek before he glanced sheepishly over to Prompto.

"I'm looking forward to our date tonight," she said gleefully, in that bright voice that managed to get even through the static in Prompto's head as he tried desperately to process what was happening right then and there.

"W-wait... she said Noctis... she called him ' _prince_ '..." Prompto stammered, still trying to deny what he was seeing. Instinctively, he took a step back already, the urge to flee rising with every second that ticked by.

"D'uh, that's because he _is_ ," Gladio snorted and received a hard slap on his arm from Ignis. "What? He told him, right?"

_No..._

"Mercury..." Noct said pleadingly, reaching out to touch Prompto's shoulder, but the blond could only flinch under his touch. He knew rationally that he should stay and listen to what the other had to say, but his body was already shutting down and everything in him screamed at him to run away. Even if the look on Noct's face broke his heart already.

"I... I think I need a moment..." he said, before he turned and took off towards the exit.

* * *

"...What do you mean, he _didn't_ tell him?" Gladio groaned, running a large hand over his face, looking down at Noctis with the kind of desperation a parent had for a child that had been told to do something and came home telling feeble excuses.

"Oh my... Prince Noctis, I'm sorry, this is... entirely my fault," Luna gasped, squeezing Noctis' hand.

The prince managed a weak smile and squeezed her hand right back. "No, it's... my fault. I should have told him sooner," he said, his throat feeling suddenly dry. He felt like someone had dropped a weight on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Well, what are you doing? Go and chase after him!" Luna said, pulling his arm towards her so that she could push him into the direction where Mercury had disappeared into.

"I... yeah..." Noctis said, but didn't move. It was as if his veins were filled with lead, rooting him to the ground. He had seen the look on Mercury's face, so full of shock and betrayal and he knew that it was _his_ fault. Because he hadn't been able to say it back when he had the chance to. In hindsight, there had been so many opportunities to come clean with the artist, to confide his real identity to him, but now it was too late.

Luna gave him another push and slowly, Noctis started putting one foot in front of the other. One step turned into two, then three and before Noctis knew it, he was running down the stairs to catch up with Mercury.

He must have waited too long though, because the blond was nowhere in sight. So, he did the logical thing and took out his phone to call the artist.

Unsurprisingly, Mercury didn't pick up. Noctis couldn't even blame him, it must have come as quite the shock to him. That was why he had wanted to talk to him about his identity in the restaurant back in April. But Mercury had distracted him so well with all his talk about indecent proposals and whatnot that it had thrown him completely off track. And then he had been so happy to just spend time with his friend that he couldn't find another opening to come clean about who he was. He still regretted that he hadn't been able to get back to that topic.

Earlier, he had thought that he had found another moment to say who he was and when that had been interrupted, Noctis had decided to tell Mercury over lunch. To think that they would run into Luna and her brother at the studio had been completely out of his grasp, too.

' _Mercury, please, we need to talk. Call me, please?_ ' he wrote a message when he couldn't find the other anymore. He returned to the building that housed the recording studio and found Ignis and Gladio waiting there for him.

"Did you find him?" Ignis asked, mirroring Noctis' own concern.

"No... Can we go to his atelier? I'm sure he's there," Noctis replied, forgetting all about the recordings they were supposed to do in the afternoon.

"I'll get the car," Ignis nodded, pity written all over his face.

"Thank you."

Gladio waited until Ignis was gone before he wrinkled his nose in a subdued wince and rubbed his shoulder. "Why the hell haven't you told him yet? And why didn't you tell the rest of us that you haven't told him yet?"

"I..." Noctis started, but he pulled up a blank. So he just sighed and shook his head in defeat. "I don't know. This is all my fault."

"Oh boy," Gladio groaned and rolled his eyes. "If he hasn't figured it out by now, he's probably all shook because it's something he didn't really want to see. I mean, he could have been stupid, too, but that boy isn't stupid at all. So, I'm saying he didn't want to see the truth. Whatever it is, it's probably been a huge shock for him. Give him some time to calm down, then apologize and talk it over, okay?"

Noctis took a deep breath and tried to stand up a little straighter. "...I guess that's the only thing I can do, really. Six, I hope he can forgive me," he sighed, looking up at the sky, silently calling upon the gods that might or might not be watching over them.

~*~

Mercury wasn't at his atelier nor did he return any of Noctis' calls or texts. It was like he had built up a wall between them and made it impossible to see where it started and how he could cross it. It frustrated Noctis so much that he started losing sleep over it.

Seeing how sleeping was his second favorite past time apart from making music that meant something. Every time Noctis closed his eyes, he would see Mercury's scandalized face and he would startle awake, sitting up drenched. First in the car from the print shop where Mercury's atelier was and then later on when the hairdresser worked on his hair for his date with Luna later that night.

Really, ever since Mercury had voiced doubts about his relationship with Luna on their New Year's eve party, the two of them had stepped up their game. Sure, Nyx hadn't been too thrilled to see his wife be all over someone else in public, but then again, it wasn't all too different from what they usually did.

Well. The almost kisses had felt weird, wrong, like he was trying to kiss Ignis or Gladio and they had broken out into laughter more than once. However, when their foreheads rested against each other later on it had looked good to the tabloids, so he guessed that there was no harm done.

That was also something that he needed to talk to Mercury about. Just so that there weren't any more secrets between them, no more harm done by keeping quiet.

During his date with Luna that night Noctis had a hard time focusing on playing the perfect royal boyfriend though. Even though it was his birthday and he should feel happy to have all attention on him, Noctis could only think about Mercury. What was he doing? Would he come back? Did he hate him so much that he would never talk to him again?

His mind supplied him with visions of Mercury burning everything that he had ever created for Monsters of the Deep, or worse, going to the press to spill the facts that he had just learned.

"Are you not feeling well?" Luna asked as Noctis pushed the perfectly grilled steak on his plate from one side to the other.

Of course she would notice how much this was getting to him. She wasn't three years older than him for nothing. He guessed that being married for three years now also heightened what he liked to call her motherly sixth sense.

"I'm fine," he started, giving her a devastated look that told the exact opposite. She studied him for a few moments, then took a deep breath and squared her shoulders before she shot him her best seductive smile she could muster.

"Well," she said, her voice dropping to a sultry tone that almost sent a repulsive shudder down his back. "I guess we can turn in early so that you can receive your _other_ present."

He blinked, not quite understanding for a moment, before the meaning of her words sunk in. He didn't even have to act when he turned a bright red and he needed every ounce of practiced acting skills to reply in kind.

"Well, I know a better place than here," he said, mustering his own best smile. Oh gods, he hoped that the paparazzi heard the exchange and that the tabloids would be full of it during the days that followed.

~*~

Three days and he hadn't heard a word of Mercury. After his first text he had sent off various more, calling every now and then. Sometimes his calls went straight to the mailbox, sometimes he ended up with endless dial tones until the connection gave up and turned into an engaged tone.

But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that Noctis was unable to sleep. The very few times that sleep didn't elude him, he woke up from worse nightmares than the ones he had back when he was still recovering from his injuries in Tenebrae as a child.

The rest of the time he just stared alternately at the ceiling and then at the picture over his bed, wondering what Mercury was doing, if he was still with him or if he hated him so much that he cursed his name over and over.

By the third day he was so cranky and exhausted that he didn't see any other way but to bribe the owner of the print shop into telling him where Mercury lived. Quercus Acutissima proved to be a tough nut to crack and he kept saying things about how he didn't want to be thrown into the ocean with concrete shoes. Who did he think he was?

Whoever it was, Mr. Acutissima ended up being rather cooperative with the right amount of money and well-placed subtle threats - a method he had learned from Ignis - and told Noctis where Mercury lived. Of course, Noctis felt bad that he had basically bullied the information out of him in a way that he usually didn't resort to, but he was desperate and needed to talk to Mercury. Needed to make sure that he could fix their friendship.

The apartment complex where Mercury lived was surprisingly... _normal_. Nothing fancy, nothing too run-down, like one might think where artists lived. No, the apartment complex where Mercury lived looked exactly like every other, maybe a little outdated, but then again, no one could really keep all of these huge buildings up to the newest state of the art technology all the time. It was clean, with no graffitis, either.

As Noctis stood in the elevator that took him to the thirteenth floor, he studied the notes that were posted on the walls left and right. Some were about things from the landlord, notes about how to recycle, when the next maintenance date for the elevator was and such things. Nothing pointed to the fact that a rather popular artist lived there at all. If not for Mr. Acutissima's detailed description, Noctis would have thought that the man was trying to fool him.

He found the door the man had described and looked for a name tag, anything, but he found nothing. He doubled checked the apartment number and determined that he was in the right place before he sighed and rang the doorbell.

It sounded shrill through the air and Noctis listened for movement on the other side, counting on the fact that Mercury wouldn't expect him to come over in person. Thus, he hoped that surprise was on his side right then.

However, nothing happened. At all. There was no sound, no movement, nothing.

Noctis pressed his ear to the door and rang the doorbell again, waiting to hear anything again, but once again, there was absolutely nothing. He sighed and checked his phone for the time, deciding that it was still way too early to be awake. So, he sat down in front of the door and decided that he would wait for Mercury's return. He had to, eventually, right?

Maybe a round of King's Knight would help him pass the time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG PROMPTO FINALLY KNOWS! Well, gee, thanks Luna for being the one to accidentally reveal Noct's real identity! How do you think Prompto will react?
> 
> Also, for those interested: Here is a link to the video for [flag on the hill](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pV6Q02F89_I), so you know what I meant when I described Iris walking around in the park. ;D


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Prompto find Noctis? Will they talk? Will he be okay with talking to the Prince of Lucis? Find out in this chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a few hours late to my usual posting time, but that's because we only returned this afternoon from a convention. (You can see pictures of that on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/makikoigami), or just yell at me there. XD)
> 
> There has been fanart from the [future of this story](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/173774996471/another-piece-for-outsomnia-it-might-be-set-a) by Banira, Noctis and Prompto hanging out while drinking their favorite drinks.  
> ALSO, for this chapter, Banira drew [this sleeping Noctis](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/174118045396/outsomnia-chapter-24-%EF%BD%B7%EF%BE%9F3%EF%BE%9F-%EF%BD%B7-soooo-how-will) and let me tell you he's the cutest koala ever. x3
> 
> There's [this](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/173799463263/annaoi-nyxulricweek-day-4-i-didnt) which is NOT fanart by layann NOR for this fic, but this is how I imagine Nyx looking like when he plays the guitar (and yes, for Luna.) Please don't ask the OP about Outsomnia, I don't know or think they know about this fic. ^^;;

Prompto returned from his extended morning run about an hour later. He had exhausted himself, yet he had still taken the stairs up to his floor, stretching his burning muscles even more. After spending the previous two days in his apartment, going through all his pictures of Noct and comparing them to those of Prince Noctis, he had come to the conclusion that he had been extremely fucking blind this whole past year. 

Really, had Prince Noctis even been trying to hide who he really was? The only thing that was different about his looks was his hairdo and even that was pretty much... the same. Well, except for the fact that Prince Noctis liked his hair out of his face and Noct would rather hide behind his bangs than show anyone his perfectly shaped eyebrows and forehead.

The previous night he had managed to cool down mostly until he had started fretting about how he was supposed to get back to Noct now, after being in complete hiding ever since the _incident_.

Sure, Noct had sent him lots of text messages, but Prompto hadn't been able to read even one of them. He was too embarrassed by his own reaction, his lame way of handling the _situation_. In hindsight, he mostly regretted that he hadn't stayed longer to admire Lady Lunafreya, who was even more beautiful up close than she was on TV. Prompto was sure that he had missed his one and only time that he would be able to talk to the idol, maybe even get an autograph out of it. Quercus certainly would have loved to have one, too.

Well, what was in the past was in the past. In fact, Prompto had gone out running in the first place to clear his head, but now that he was exhausted, he was still as wise as before. Could he just text Noct back? Tell him to meet up somewhere and... talk?

But about what? 'Hey, um, it's kinda cool that you're the prince but still doing your thing. Guess I should have told you my real name right from the start, too, huh?'

Well, that was pretty lame and probably stupid. Then again, having the most popular woman in all of Eos blurt out your real identity wasn't all that great either.

Prompto huffed another sigh as he reached the last step, hesitating as he stared down at the shoelaces of his right foot. No matter how he tossed and turned things, he would have to suck it up and talk to Noct. Show him proper respect now that he knew he was royalty and then ask him politely what the hell he had been thinking. Had he bought his artwork just so that he joined his band? That was... stupid, and Prompto didn't know what to make of this. He was so confused about everything, because he didn't know anymore what was real and what had been a lie.

Well, at least Prompto now knew why it seemed as if Noct was never running out of money.

He sighed again, pushed his tired body up the last step, wiped his brow with his shirt and turned towards the direction of his apartment, just to see a figure sitting slumped in front of it.

For a moment, he panicked, wondering if his neighbor had gotten the door wrong again after a long night of drinking. Then again, today was Wednesday, so he better not be drinking.

As he got closer to the person in front of his door, he recognized the clothes the other was wearing with a start. Puffy vest, black jeans and a ridiculous baseball hat? Prompto only knew one person with that kind of clothing combination.

"...Noct... I mean, Prince Noctis?" he called out softly, hurrying to cross the last bit of distance between them. When the other didn't move, Prompto knelt down and put a gentle hand on the prince's shoulders, shaking him lightly when he didn't react to that either.

"What the fuck, did you fall asleep while you were waiting for me? How cheesy can you get," Prompto huffed, but couldn't help the fond smile spreading over his face. He reigned it back in quickly when he felt the other stir and tried to put on his best poker face. No one made a fool out of him for that long without getting to suffer from his patented look of disappointment for a while.

"...Mer'cry?" Prince Noctis mumbled as he woke up and blinked heavy eyes open. Judging by the circles around his eyes he hadn't been getting much sleep lately. Which was funny because if there was one thing Noct excelled at, it was sleep. He also sported a quite impressive stubble, more than Prompto had ever seen on him, even on that one day during their tour, when he had slept in and missed his chance to shave. It looked... good on him. Surprisingly so.

"Yeah, how did you find this place? Did you use your royal connections to stalk me?" Prompto asked, sounding a little harsher than he had intended to be. Maybe because he was still mad that not even a stubble couldn't marr the beauty of the Prince of Lucis.

Well. It wasn't like Noct didn't deserve the cold shoulder for a while.

"I asked the printer... Mr. Acutissima. Nothing royal involved," Prince Noctis replied, sounding sleepy and irritated and well, Prompto couldn't really blame him.

"Quercus? He told you? Damn, he has never told anyone before!"

"He thought I was gonna throw him in the ocean... Can we go inside? My back kind of hurts from the cold of the concrete," Prince Noctis mumbled, sounding more like a 15-year-old than the 25-year-old he really was. It almost made Prompto give in.

"Oh, right. Your back, sorry," he said nevertheless, extending a hand to help the other to get up. He could see Prince Noctis struggling for a moment and he _really_ started feeling sorry for him. But, they had to clear this thing between them up properly first. "Come on in. I'll make you some coffee."

"Thank you," Prince Noctis replied and started to twist and stretch his back while Prompto unlocked the door of his apartment.

"Welcome to my home. It's not much, but I earned it fair and square," Prompto said as he opened the door and held it open for Prince Noctis to step inside. He closed and locked the door after he had entered as well, just like he did every time. He exchanged his running shoes for some slippers and turned towards the kitchenette.

Prince Noctis took off his hat and looked around, curiously eyeing every other personal item that Prompto had lying around. Of course, Prompto watched him like a hawk in return, making his way over to start the coffeemaker. He didn't know what could be so interesting about his apartment, as there wasn't really much to look at, but it seemed as if Prince Noctis found plenty of things that piqued his interest.

There had been silence between them ever since they entered the apartment and Prompto forced himself to keep quiet, although he was usually the one to start up a conversation. No, he needed to hear what all of this meant to Prince Noctis before he said anything. No matter if he had already made his decision, he needed to hear the other's take on the whole thing first.

But maybe they both needed coffee for breakfast and Prompto would give Prince Noctis until then to collect his thoughts. As the coffee maker gargled loudly with the last drops of Ebony, Prompto prepared two cups, noticing how Prince Noctis turned to watch him over the the other side of the counter. He was still stretching his back every now and then, but he looked much more comfortable than he had just moments ago.

Prompto found two packs of sugar that he had taken home with him after getting them at a coffee shop. Since he had been unable to return them, he thought now was a good time to use them. Also, he put some milk on the counter next to one of the cups, knowing that the prince liked his coffee sweet and with lots of milk.

After the sounds from the coffee maker had died down, Prompto poured the black liquid into both cups and pushed one of them over to Prince Noctis without a word. He wiped the last bit of sweat off his brow with his shirt again, to which the prince averted his eyes out of courtesy.

"Thanks," Prince Noctis replied meekly, wrapping his hands around the mug without touching the sugar or the milk. Predictably, he pulled a face after the first sip, but still didn't do anything to fix the coffee to be more like he usually took it. As a kind of encouragement, Prompto rounded the counter and leaned against it on the other side, closer to Prince Noctis. In return, the prince took a deep breath to steel his nerves, put the cup back onto the counter and turned to look at Prompto with a look full of so many conflicting emotions. The intensity of his look almost made it impossible for Prompto to breathe.

He was reminded of a hurt dog on the streets. Once, back during his middle school days, just two years before his caretaker had died, he had found an injured puppy on the street near the house where they lived. It had been limping and alternately licking the wound before Prompto had picked it up and taken it back home. The look on its face had been just as miserable as Prince Noctis' look was then.

Since his caretaker had been at work on the other side of the city, their time together was pretty short and sometimes they didn't even see each other on weekends, but Prompto still hid the puppy the best he could while he went diligently to school. It was fun, caring for another life, but one day, the puppy was gone. Prompto liked to think that it had returned to its rightful owner, but he had never heard from or seen it again. Sometimes he wondered what happened to it.

"Mercury, I am... You probably have no idea how sorry I am," Prince Noctis started his apology, taking Prompto out of his old memories with a start. "I... I should have told you so much sooner - I wanted to! - but... I didn't manage. Please accept my sincerest apologies."

The prince took a step back at these words and then bowed in the small between Prompto, his kitchen counter and where his living room started.It was a perfect pose, perfect right angle and after his initial shock and fear that Prince Noctis might hit his head on the wall, Prompto's mouth dropped open in surprise.

Royalty was bowing to _him_?

Well, on the other hand, this particular royal had climbed into his bed because of nightmares, so maybe this shouldn't have come as such a surprise after all.

Nevertheless, Prompto put his mug away and started flailing, to make Prince Noctis straighten up again, but then he remembered that this was a perfectly rightful apology and the best way to make the other get up again, was to accept the apology as it came.

"...It's... not just your fault," Prompto mumbled, feeling still guilty and ashamed that he hadn't seen the signs and hints as they were.

"H-huh?" Prince Noctis inhaled sharply, looking up from where he was still hunched over.

"Please get up, your highness," Prompto said sheepishly, nudging the other's arm with his hand to help him straighten. As he did, Prince Noctis pulled a face full of pain, that Prompto could sympathize with after he remembered that the prince had an old injury that was currently acting up.

"Don't," Prince Noctis warned, looking up with pleading eyes.

"H-huh?" As he wondered what Prince Noctis could possibly mean, the other took a deep breath and gestured to his person. Prompto kind of expected him to tell him to stop being like this, but... there were all the little things that had happened between them before. They couldn't have been for nothing, right?

"I... Mercury. The fact that I'm... Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prince of Lucis means absolutely _nothing_ to the fact that I'm... that I'd rather be Noct Gar, singer and... bandleader of Monsters of the Deep," Prince Noctis explained, pleading with his eyes to bring his point across. "My band is the only time when I don't have to think about duties that aren't _mine_ , but that of some prince. And you... you've accepted me like this. I mean, it did take you some time to get over the fact that money doesn't matter as much to me as it does to you, but... That's not what I want to base our... friendship on."

Prompto worried his lip and said nothing, because he knew it was true. He had given Noct hell for spending money without batting an eyelash when he was still looking after each and every Gil he made.

"I tried to tell you. Once. I even... That one time, I came to get you from your atelier, I went there from appointments I had as the prince, with the record company, and with the bank. Did you know that they don't hand over a certain amount of cash without an appointment unless you're someone important?" Noctis asked, running a hand through his hair. He winced a little bit and stretched his back again.

Prompto watched the prince's every move and now that he knew whom he was talking to, there was no way that he could ever unsee Prince Noctis in Noct's features. His words didn't make much sense and he looked kind of desperate, but somehow, Prompto got the gist of what he wanted to say. Well, he already knew that he had been kind of blind, but in hindsight, that moment was definitely one of his stupider ones. And once again he wondered just how blind he had been.

"I didn't know," he said softly, sensing that Noctis wasn't done with his explanation yet. Also, he wondered just what occasion he was talking about, even though there was only thing that came to his mind. Noct being all dressed up and formal, with an unusual large amount of cash? Yeah, he was pretty sure that the other was talking about that dinner they had back in April, when Prompto had been dreading Noct didn't want to see him ever again after the insensitive things he had said. And now Prince Noctis was in his humble apartment, apologizing, bowing and doing everything to make him stay his friend.

"I tried. I'm not... I'm not that good with words," Noctis admitted, looking up sheepishly through his bangs. "I'm good with gestures and... _stuff_ , but I've never found the right time to tell you about these things. When I handed you the contract, I hoped that we could... well, talk about _that_ , too, but we ended talking about anything and everything. I felt so bad when I realized that I missed my opportunity."

At this point, Prompto decided to reward Noctis with a little smile, giving him a sign that he wasn't pouring his heart out for nothing.

"And then, when you showed me that picture of me on your camera while we were recording, I wanted to tell you, too, but we got interrupted and I had to sing..." Noctis trailed off and looked back at Prompto with that dejected hurt puppy look again. "I'm sorry about the way you had to learn about it. I wish I could have done this better."

Prompto took a deep breath, knowing that it was his turn to say something now. He chose his words carefully, mostly because he had been through this situation in his head for a lot of times now.

"Well," he started, fixing Noctis with his best poker face. "I never thought I'd meet Lady Lunafreya like that either. Kind of wished I could have stayed a little longer to get an autograph for Quercus."

He ended with a grin and watched Noctis' face carefully.

The prince looked completely confused for a moment, blinking slowly once, then a few more times as he seemed to process the words slowly. He opened his mouth and closed it again as if he was trying to say something, but no words would come out.

Prompto's grin grew as he extended his hand, his heart still beating fast in his chest. Prince Noctis didn't have it easy doing the things he liked, like play in his band and seek him out like he did. Before, Prompto had thought Noct was just a rich brat that hid behind the anonymity of the crowd to do what he wanted, but with a big safety net behind him. In the past few days, he had come to the conclusion that Prince Noctis had taken more risks than he had given him credit for. And now that he had come clean to him, it was Prompto's turn to take a risk and come clean to him.

"Nice to meet you, Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum. I'm Prompto Argentum," he said, nervous about how the other would take his real name. In fact, that had been the one thing he had been worrying most about. 

Flabbergasted, Noctis reached out to take his hand and shook it weakly. "Prompto... Argentum? As in... _Quicksilver_? Is that why you chose Mercury as your pseudonym? Because it's the same element?" he asked, once again blinking rapidly.

"Hey, is that critique about my creativity, Mr. 'Noct Gar'? How long did you think about this name, five seconds?" Prompto gave back, his chin raised defiantly in a 'fight me'-pose as he squeezed Prince Noctis' hand a little more.

Prince Noctis chuckled and Prompto's stomach did a funny flip-flop.

"Actually, it was three and it was after my first catch," he explained and tilted his head with a soft smile while Prompto still fought his blush. "I was five at the time."

"Oh Em Gee, that's exactly what I thought!" Prompto gasped, then blinked in a bout of confusion. "Wait, I remember baby pictures of the prince. You were so cute! And you were fishing then?"

"My dad took me... It was the only time when we would be on our own, really," Noctis replied with an even softer smile and it made Prompto pull his hand away to inhale softly. "Ah, it's not bad! It's just... neither of us really has the time anymore."

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two young men, before Noctis looked up from under his bangs with the sort of begging puppy look that Prompto had expected from the beginning. 

"So... does this mean we're good?" Prince Noctis asked, and Prompto took a deep breath.

"Two things," he started, fixing the prince's grey-blue eyes with a stern glance. "I get you want to be called Noct when were in public for... security or whatever reasons, but when we're in private like this? Do I have to call you-"

"Noct. Just Noct, okay?" Noctis interrupted quickly. "Gladio and Ignis, they're my Shield and advisor and they both have been calling me Noct ever since we were little."

"Oh, Ignis is _your_ advisor?" Prompto asked, his eyebrows shooting up so that they weren't visible under his fringe anymore. "I thought he just worked for the court, acquiring modern art. Like, being an advisor for _that_."

"No, uh, he's... Well. I asked him to get something from yours from Weskham's should it ever come up," Noctis explained, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes shifted from the ground and back.

Prompto's eyes widened in surprise. "So... that part of..."

"Yeah, I'm a great fan of your work, MRCRY," Noctis admitted with a bashful smile. "Ever since that ad for the Albireo reel in _Fishing Enthusiasts_."

"Dude, that was," Prompto started again, but reeled back as he remembered that they had had this discussion before. He huffed another breath and said, "Okay, I get it! You're the prince and a fan. Guess you're just human like everyone, huh?" 

"Never said I was anything else," Noctis replied with a growing smirk. The blond snorted and then thought about the other painting Noct had bought from him a year ago.

"So, when you gave away _Vanilla Moon_ , who did you give it to?" Prompto asked, because he remembered just how much he had wanted to ask about that, when Noct had told him about it. And who that mysterious friend had been.

"Oh, I gave that Luna for her birthday... last year. Wow, how time flies!"

Prompto could only agree. One year since he first met a creepy stalker who had been staring at his pictures every day. One year since he had met this crazy person and less than a year since he decided that they could be friends. To think that he had been talking to the crown prince all the time...

"Oh...! Right because it's a moon, you gave it to her. Why that one? And not... all the other moon themed paintings I made?" he asked nevertheless. "Like, _Moonrise_ or _Moon Above the Citadel_?"

Prince Noctis blinked at him, then his eyes shifted to the side again and he chuckled sheepishly. "Well... it was mostly white and... Uh... the croissant looked nice and... the color of the plate is her favorite color..."

"Wow, such a doting boyfriend to know these kinds of details about your girl. Haven't met many of those," Prompto commented, since he was aware that the Prince of Lucis and Lady Lunafreya were obviously dating. That is why she greeted him like that on his birthday, right?

"Prompto," Noctis said then, his voice stern and with a hint of desperation in it. 

Prompto blinked, because hearing his real name coming from the prince's mouth sounded weird, but not unpleasantly so. In fact, he felt a shudder going down his back, that he couldn't quite define where it came from.

"Y-yes?" he stammered.

"I don't want to hide anything from you and this is, like, the biggest secret that I can tell you," Noctis explained, looking directly into Prompto's eyes. 

The blond swallowed and then said, "I... won't tell anyone, I give you my word of honor."

Noctis took another deep breath. "When you said that you think that Luna and... _I_ are just really good friends, you were completely right," he explained and waited a moment to let that sink in. "We have... a lot of good reasons to be each other's cover up, but as long as everyone's happy, that's okay, right?"

Prompto opened his mouth and closed it again, frowned and then repeated the action. "Wait, you're telling me you use Lady Lunafreya as a cover-up girlfriend?"

"And she uses me as her cover-up boyfriend," Noctis nodded, looking completely calm to what Prompto felt was a huge insult.

"...For _what_?" Prompto asked, unable to wrap his mind around how two so very attractive young people would have to resort to such matters. Did Noctis have as secret wife or anything?

The prince looked to the side again, raising his arm back to his neck and Prompto knew that he was embarrassed about this. "Um... you see... _before_ we did that, I'd get... stalkers and... she did, too. Ever since we've appeared as a couple, these things have... not happened again. Well, once or twice, but not as often as it has before."

Prompto blinked. "So. You are trying to tell me that you - the most desired young man in all of Eos at the moment - and Lady Lunafreya - Eos' sweetheart - are fake dating just to keep the stalkers at bay?"

"Basically, yes," Noctis replied and smiled wryly.

"Are you sure that there's nothing else you want to tell me? Like, that you're secretly married with a bunch of kids already? Because if that's what you wanted to cover with that kinda stunt, I'd much rather believe you than with this kind of story," Prompto huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"Well, _I'm_ not," Noctis admitted and trailed off, until the meaning of his words had sunk into Prompto's brain.

"...Okay, you are telling me that _Lady Lunafreya_ is married with children?!" the blond gasped, so flabbergasted that his eyes almost started bulging out of his head.

"Well, no, they don't have children _yet_ , but they've been happily married for a while now, three and a half years, to be exact," Noctis explained and once again Prompto felt like he was staring so hard that his eyes would fall out.

"...You know that the rainbow press would _kill_ to know these facts, right?" he whispered, looking around as if the walls here had ears or something.

"Oh boy, yes, I _know_ , that's why only a handful of people know. You know that I... will have to kill you if I find out you spilled the beans, right?" Noctis smirked, and Prompto couldn't help but gasp.

"I promise I won't tell anyone!" he squeaked, even though he felt surprisingly giddy to be one of the few people with such a powerful knowledge. "Do you know who's the lucky one? Since it's not you."

"Well, I _could_ tell you, but I promised not to. If you want, you can ask Luna herself. We wanted to have a private kind of birthday celebration for her with some karaoke... for the good old times, you know? After what has happened... Luna asked me to invite you along. She wanted to apologize herself for causing so much trouble by saying something without thinking," Noctis offered.

Prompto's mouth fell open, almost down to the floor and he felt goosebumps rising on his skin. So, he raised his arm and shoved it into Prince Noctis' face. "See that? I got goosebumps from you just saying that! I mean, do you even know how it feels to get invited to a party with _two_ of the most famous people alive? Scratch that, you wouldn't know."

"Well, going to a party with _you_ kind of has that effect on me," the other piped up again, making Prompto's jaw hit the floor once more.

"Okay. Stop that."

"Stop what?" Noctis asked, his brows twitching a little into a frown.

"...THAT. Flattery won't get you anywhere, you know?" Prompto squeaked again, because his face was all red as he stared back into what was the most innocent face he had ever seen on Noctis' face.

"I'm not... I mean that! Just... just being able to talk to you like this is like... Like a dream come true for me," Noctis admitted and since the bridge of his nose and his cheeks were all pink, Prompto was inclined to believe him.

Even though he couldn't really believe the words he was hearing.

"Man, are you flirting with me? I-I mean, you tell me you're available and then you're hitting on me like that and just... I don't know what to think!" Prompto stammered.

"What the-! I'm not hitting on you! I don't... I'm not even looking for anyone right now!" Noctis gave back, looking just as flustered as Prompto felt. "I'm not interested in... in dating and those kinds of things."

His face was flushed and he looked thoroughly embarrassed as if Prompto had just poked in places where he should have poked.

"Uh, okay, okay! Guess that's _your_ reason for fake-dating your really good friend, huh?" Prompto reeled back immediately, even though he was still flustered about how strongly Noctis had come on to him.

"Y-yeah," Noctis confirmed, looking still as flustered. "...What about you, are you dating someone? Fake or not fake."

"Now you wanna know, huh? I'm single as I've been for most of my life. Made out with a few guys and girls, but that's it," Prompto admitted, his cheeks heating up again. "Are you interested or what?" he asked before he could stop himself. Really, as if the Prince of Lucis would be hitting him. All of this was clearly getting to his head now.

"I _told_ you, I'm not interesting in dating anyone at the moment, okay?" Noctis sighed, looking over his shoulder to eye the couch on the other side of the room. "Is it okay if I... sat down for a moment?"

"Sure, um, I'll go and take a quick shower, then I can show you what I've prepared for the cover of the album... Do we have a name already?" Prompto asked as he picked up some pictures he had left on the couch after spending another few hours comparing pictures of Noct and Noctis.

"Not yet... we will decide when we're done recording... unless you've got an idea?" Noctis yawned as he flopped down on the couch. Prompto could see that he glanced at the pictures, obviously, his old chocobo plush was a lot more interesting, because that's what Noctis grabbed and hugged to his chest.

"Hey... be careful with that," Prompto warned. "It's my most important possession."

"I promise," Noctis murmured, his eyes closing already. "Wake me up later, okay?"

"Sure," Prompto replied and turned to his bedroom to get a change of clothes. "Later."

But Noctis didn't really hear him anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW! AREN'T Y'ALL GLAD THAT THIS EPISODE IS OVER?
> 
> But wait, the story isn't over yet! I still have so much to tell you in this AU, so please stay with me!
> 
> PS: We've also watched the royal wedding of Harry and Meghan and isn't it great that they used Stand By Me during their ceremony? Guess who also did that (last year)! ☞(⌒▽⌒)☜ It's such a good song and I was so moved by the looks that they shared and how touchy they are and- Okay, I'll shut up about it now. ^^;


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis is worried about Noctis and then it's Lady Lunafreya's birthday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what happened, but [this is what Noctis looks like after he fell asleep at the end of last chapter](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/174118045396/outsomnia-chapter-24-%EF%BD%B7%EF%BE%9F3%EF%BE%9F-%EF%BD%B7-soooo-how-will). Somehow, it got so little attention, we don't know what happened.

Waking Prince Noctis, who had fallen asleep on his couch, proved to be easier said than done.

After Prompto had taken a shower, he had found the other curled up on his couch, not unlike he himself would sleep on it more often than in his own bed. He had managed to raise him for a few moments, just long enough that the prince could sit up and make some space for Prompto to sit as well. The blond had powered up his laptop so that he could show Noctis what he had prepared for the cover. The other had sounded interested enough, so Prompto was sure that he could keep his eyes open until he was able to take a look, give his opinion and then go home again.

That had been about three hours ago.

About two hours and fifty-nine minutes ago, Noctis' head had landed heavily on Prompto's shoulder while he was still clutching the chocobo plush to his chest. So, when Prompto had still been powering up his computer, Noctis had fallen asleep again on his shoulder. And had stayed asleep for the rest of the time without moving an inch. He hadn't even moved when Prompto had started working on his computer, only shifted now and then. 

Prompto couldn't feel his shoulder anymore, and his arm was starting to get numb as well. It had been about an hour since he needed to go to the toilet, too and when the prince's phone started ringing in that moment, he hoped that it would wake him up.

His enthusiasm over the fact that Prince Noctis had something from Assassin's Creed as his ringtone quickly vanished as he realized that not even his phone ringing and buzzing with vibration was able to wake him up. No amount of childish glee was enough to counter the dread that Prompto was feeling right in that very moment.

Of course, the phone stopped ringing before Prompto could fish it out of the prince's vest's pocket. He was secretly thankful that he had it there instead of the back pocket of his pants because he really didn't want to be arrested for indecently touching the Prince of Lucis. He was pretty sure that groping his ass was a capital offense for a commoner like him.

He stared at the notification of '1 missed call: Ignis' and wondered if he could just call the advisor back from his own phone or try to guess the way Noctis' phone was unlocked, but before he could make a decision, the phone started vibrating and ringing in his hand again.

Quickly, he took the call, but Ignis beat him to saying something first.

"Noct, where are you? We're all worried about you." Ignis sounded exhausted, almost exasperate. 

"Um... Hi, Ignis," Prompto replied with a sheepish smile as he pressed the sleek black phone to his ear.

There was a short pause on the other end of the line and Prompto liked to think that the other man's glasses had slipped down his nose at the revelation. He chuckled a bit at the mental image of that.

"Mercury," Ignis said then, sounding quite surprised still, although Prompto had to give him credit for regaining his composure so quickly. "Is Noct... with you?"

"Yeah, Noctis is right here with me," Prompto replied, with the most casual tone he could muster. He hoped that the other was able to come to the right conclusions from the use of the prince's name.

"... Thank goodness," Ignis sighed, obviously deflating on the other end of the line. Prompto wasn't sure, but he thought that he heard the sound of a chair being pushed backwards. "I take it he has talked to you?"

"Yeah, he did," Prompto confirmed, turning to look down at Noctis who was smacking his lips together in his sleep. He looked kind of cute like that, even with . "Ignis, I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. It's... my fault for being so blind. I should have connected the dots earlier, but I guess it was something I didn't want to see."

"Well," Ignis said, sounding a bit like he was pushing his glasses back up his nose. "We have been trying to keep this fact from you. So I guess we're all to blame here. How is Noct?"

"Happily asleep and half-draped all over me, clutching onto my favorite chocobo plush. Wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to go pee," Prompto laughed, deciding that if Noctis wanted him to treat him like Noct, he shouldn't start treating the others differently, either.

"...he is asleep?" Ignis asked, sounding incredibly tentative and maybe a bit hopeful.

"Has been for three hours straight now. Not like that's anything unusual, right?" Prompto joked lightheartedly, hoping that it would raise a chuckle out of Ignis, who had proved to have a similar sense of humor than the blond.

"...He's really asleep? No nightmares?" Ignis asked instead.

Prompto blinked. "I don't think so? He's been sleeping like a baby on my shoulder. Or, well, a giant cat, almost curled up on my lap like this," he explained, frowning down at the mob of black hair of the prince. "...Why?"

"Thank goodness, finally," Ignis sighed, sounding really, really tired himself all of a sudden. "Mercury, Noctis hasn't been sleeping right ever since you left so suddenly on his birthday. Just a few hours here and there, but he hasn't been getting a good rest ever since. It's... a blessing that he's sleeping now."

Prompto fell silent and watched the gentle rise and fall of Noctis' chest, the slightly open lips framed by dark stubble and his long, dark lashes that brushed his cheeks. Really, Noctis was so beautiful, it was almost unfair that he was also the prince and had almost everything in life that one could ask for. To think he had been so worried about their friendship to start losing sleep over it was just... nothing that Prompto could believe so easily. Not being able to sleep? _Noct_? Whose favorite part time was to sleep?

As unlikely as this seemed to be, under the dark lashes, were even darker circles that spoke of nights without proper sleep. Prompto knew how they looked, it had taken him years to get his own circles back under control after finishing college and finding the first paying job. 

"...I'm sorry," he whispered, as the corners of his eyes felt suddenly hot and moist.

"Don't be... he has been afraid it would be too much of a shock for you. Hence the insomnia. Noct has been getting crankier with every passing hour in the past twenty four hours, that's why he has been looking for you. I take it he found you and..." 

"Yeah. We talked. I'm not mad at you all. In fact, I'm more mad at myself for not seeing the signs earlier," Prompto chuckled sheepishly. "They _have_ been there aplenty after all. I guess... a part of me didn't want to see the signs. I mean... why would the Prince of Lucis be a fan of _me_?"

Ignis chuckled on the other end of the line, taking Prompto a little off guard. "Noct mentioned you would say something like that. That you're prone to belittle yourself, although there's no reason for it. Mercury, you deserve every last bit of praise that people are giving you, what you do is amazing. Noct has been talking about your artwork since the first day and said that one day he would talk to you. I've been by his side ever since he was a little boy and it's rare to see him so enthusiastic. It's only for the things he cherishes very much."

Feeling his throat close up, Prompto lifted his numb arm from underneath Noctis and wiped at the corner of his eyes, where tears were collecting, moved by Ignis' words of kindness.

"Thank you," he choked out, his voice breaking with emotion. 

"You're welcome. His highness doesn't choose his friends lightly," Ignis smiled on the other side of the line, giving Prompto a few moments to collect himself before he continued. "Is it alright with you to leave Noct in your care for a while? I have... something I need to attend, but Gladio will come later and get Noct out of your hair, so to speak. His schedule is cleared, there shouldn't be anyone bothering him for a while."

"Y-yeah! Sure, whenever you're ready, I'll make sure he's here," Prompto stammered, wiping his eyes a little more aggressively. He cleared his throat to make himself sound less like he was crying. "I-I mean, I'm sure he's safer here than on stage, but I will, um, I guess I will defend him with my life! ...or something."

Ignis chuckled again, and Prompto sighed in relief to hear the sound. "Your enthusiasm is appreciated, but I doubt that you're in any danger of having to risk your life."

"Well, if you say that, I guess I'll believe you," Prompto grinned, even though Ignis was unable to see him do so.

"Very well. Now, I shall leave Noct to your devices. Could you send your whereabouts to this number? I'd hate to use other means to find you," Ignis asked, sounding as if he stifled a yawn.

"Um... yeah. Right away. Thanks, Iggy and get a good nap," Prompto said, receiving his own moment of silence from the other side of the line. He chuckled at Ignis' silent surprise and added, "I'm sure if Noct didn't get enough sleep, you guys probably didn't either. Thanks for not... pushing me to say something during that hard time."

"...Yeah... Mercury, I must say, you're full of surprises," Ignis added and yawned openly then. "Very well. I'm sure we will meet again soon. Take good care."

"Yep! Thanks," Prompto grinned and decided that he would tell the others his name later... On Lady Lunafreya's birthday party.

~*~

When Gladio finally arrived at his apartment, all tall and imposing muscles with that very scary look on his face, Noctis was still asleep on Prompto's couch, still clutching the chocobo plush to his chest. Prompto reasoned that as long as he was holding onto the plus, no one was in danger of getting into his koala-like clutches, so that was a good thing. 

However, when he had tried to take the plush away from the prince, he got a first-hand demonstration why the others in Monsters of the Deep were so reluctant to share a bed with the prince. Noctis wouldn't let go of the plush, clutching to it as if his life depended on it. Even as Gladio managed to rouse him enough so that he could get up, he held stubbornly onto the plush.

In the end, Prompto gave in reluctantly and offered Noctis the plush to take home. He loved that plush, but if a giant, three-year-old prince liked it even better than you, you give that plush away. Really, Noctis reminded him more of a toddler than a grown-up man and while he was amused about that detail, he also decided that treating the prince like a normal person was a lot easier than he had even anticipated. In the end, it was all just in his head that Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum of Lucis was something like a superhuman being. They were all just human after all.

Out of sheer curiosity, Prompto checked a few more random pictures of the Prince of Lucis and he quickly found both Ignis and Gladio standing next to him, wearing the crownsguard attire, their backs straighter than that of the prince himself. Given his back injury, it might have been logical, but knowing Prince Noctis as Noct made Prompto reconsider his assessment. He was pretty sure that Noctis was trying his best to look good, but in his mind he was probably trying to figure out how to arrange the next song.

As he zoomed in on the picture to check on some detail of Noctis' suit - were those skulls? - he stumbled over the sight of a familiar looking jawline. He zoomed in more and saw a thin line that looked like a rather familiar tattoo. Unfortunately, most of the Kingsglaive's face was hidden by the mask that was part of the elite corps' uniform, so Prompto couldn't tell for sure if he was really seeing the things he thought he was seeing, and looking at other parts of the man's body didn't help either, because most of his body was covered by the uniform.

Still, Prompto was fairly certain that the Kingsglaive standing just behind Noctis, Ignis and Gladio was no other than Nyx Ulric. Given how both the lead singer, the manager _and_ the security were part of the Royal Court, Prompto couldn't really manage to be surprised by this fact.

Thus, he opened up the website of Kingsglaive and checked the few public pictures they had online, just to find not just someone who looked exactly like Nyx, but also Libertus as well as Crowe among them. Unable to do anything but stare at the three figures among the rather small group, Prompto found his head swimming again, realizing that he hadn't just been hanging out with Royalty, but also with three of Lucis' best warriors.

No wonder there was only Gladio as the official security for Noctis during the concerts; all of the musicians at his side had sworn an oath to protect him with their lives after all.

Really, all of this was mind-boggling and Prompto wasn't sure if he could ever recover. He, who had grown up without a mother but a caretaker in the poorest conditions one could imagine, had been casually hanging out with the top elite of all of Lucis and he hadn't even noticed it one bit! If that wasn't mind-boggling, Prompto didn't know what was.

Well, if they were also there at Lady Lunafreya's birthday party, they sure had a lot to tell him.

~*~

The birthday party took place almost a week after the shocking revelation. To Prompto's surprise they didn't go to a fancy venue or party place that had been specifically closed down for the special occasion, no, they met in the same place where they had celebrated the new year. But of course, since it was still summer, it was a lot warmer than it had been nine months ago.

Prompto greeted Gladio with a grin and hit his biceps with his fist, just to receive a shove in return that almost knocked him off his feet. He huffed indignantly while Gladio looked honestly taken aback and embarrassed about his own strength. He only deflated when Prompto slapped his arm again and pushed him towards the area where they had been partying on the roof before. Just like in winter, he could hear music coming from there and he could also smell barbecue cooking.

"Hey Libertus! How's the restaurant going? Good enough to play the cook for us today?" Prompto greeted the drummer with a grin and he received one in return.

"Mercury! Nice to see ya again! Scared us aplenty by running away like that. You and the prince made up again?" the other man asked, turning a few skewers on the grill before he picked up the marinade and put it onto the meat.

"Yeah, I'm... sorry about that. But, you know, that WAS a pretty big thing," Prompto gave back and looked back at the other as if he wanted to say, 'almost as big as finding out the rest of the band are also pretty important people.'

Libertus caught his eye and held his gaze as he obviously tried to find out what Prompto was thinking. After a few moments he did and sighed deeply. "Found out the rest about us too, huh? Well, I guess, once you open a can of worms..."

"Yeah," Prompto chuckled. "It's okay though. You guys are doing this for fun, and it's been fun joining you these past months. Been missing it like crazy when I had to take a break."

"Who is that? Our favorite bespectacled blondie!" Crowe put a heavy arm around Prompto's shoulders and leaned her weight on him. 

"Ah, I don't know who that can be!" Prompto gave back with a chuckle, grinning up at the woman at his side.

"Yeah, dunno either. Quite a few that match this description," Crowe teased him. "Oh wait! There's only one cute blonde with glasses that I know."

"You think I'm cute? Oh wow, that's something coming from someone like you," Prompto cooed in return, trying his best attempt at puppy eyes. If Noctis could do them, maybe they worked for him as well. He didn't know what he was begging for though, but it was fun playing this game of tease and banter with Crowe. It almost felt like what he and Cidney had had.

Letting out a histrionic gasp, Crowe pulled back and looked at the blond in mock-offense. "What do you mean like that? Just because I'm a woman?"

"Nah, I was talking more about the bit where I'm sure you could split my arm in half within the blink of an eye," Prompto grinned and winked. "Been lowkey afraid of that ever since I met you for the first time. So, more the tough warrior liking something cute? That's... something else."

Crowe regarded him with a long look for a moment and then snorted. "Nice safe, blondie." She proceeded to ruffle his hair and then returned to the area with tables and the TV set that was showing the news coverage of the official part of Lady Lunafreya's birthday party. There, Prompto found Nyx, who was looking at the screen so deep in concentration that there was a deep line on his forehead starting between his brows.

He hesitated a moment before he grabbed a beer for himself and sat down next to the guitarist.

"Hey," he started, but before Nyx could say anything, "shouldn't you be out there, like, protecting the prince and the lady?"

Nyx's words seemed to die on his tongue and he shook his head with a soft laugh. "So, you figured that out as well, huh?"

"Wasn't that hard once I knew where to look," Prompto replied with a sheepish smile. "Sorry for giving you all such a scare. I... do that sometimes when I don't know what else to do."

"...Running away always seems like such an easy solution, huh?" Nyx snorted and sipped from his own beer. "The prince is so prone to it himself... Or, well, _was_. He's growing up now and learns how to stand his ground and mask his insecurities. Standing on stage in front of a lot of people has certainly helped him a lot to overcome some of his fears."

Prompto blinked, trying to process what was brand-new information to him. Prince Noctis? Insecure? When he was usually all smiles and suaveness? On the other hand, all of that might have just been some kind of mask to hide his real self, since someone like Noct Gar hardly was what the people considered princely. Noctis was a role model for many people after all, especially young people around his age.

"Huh... I guess it helps," Prompto admitted, knowing that hanging out with Monsters of the Deep had helped him to overcome some of his own fears and insecurities. He had never thought that he would ever go out on stage and perform live. Usually, he liked to be in the background, behind the scenes, if anything. There was a reason why he prefered to work alone and away from prying eyes after all, even if he had really had a lot of fun the last time he stood on stage.

"Anyway," Prompto continued after he took a deep breath, "I'm here now, am I not? That's gotta count for something, right?"

Nyx chuckled and gripped Prompto's shoulder. If not for Gladio's greeting earlier, Prompto might have buckled away under the hold. He held up his beer for a toast and said, "Damn right, kid.You're here now after learning all this shit and that is _all_ that matters right now. Welcome back."

"Thanks," Prompto beamed and clunked his beer to Nyx' before they turned and continued to watch as Noctis and Lady Lunafreya left the restaurant and went back to the prince's car. Cameras followed their every step, even down to the parking deck where only the sleek sports car of the Prince of Lucis was parked. There was only a moment where Prompto wasn't sure if the Prince and the Lady hadn't disappeared for a second, but just a second later, they stepped out of the elevator and into the parking lot.

What happened then was probably going to be a moment that went down in history. Even Prompto was unable to quite process what went on.

One moment, the Prince and the Lady walked to the car hand in hand, and in the next, once they were in the car, it starting rocking from side to side as the windows started fogging up. Prompto squinted and looked as closely as he could before he said, "...is this really Noct? And... is it really okay for him to do that with Lady Lunafreya? I mean... they're not really doing what I think they're doing, right?"

"Dunno what you're thinking, blondie, but these two people are trying their best to make out in an Audi R8. Stupid idea, really. Damn near impossible, if you ask me. And I've been driving that car a few times," Nyx snorted.

"You're bigger than I am, though," a new voice said coolly behind them and as Prompto turned around, he spotted Noctis and Lady Lunafreya, wearing exactly the same clothes as the two people had been wearing that were now in the car. "I'm sure I could fit in there with someone, if I wanted to," Noctis added with a smirk as he pulled off the light blue tie around his neck. He looked absolutely gorgeous in that light-colored two-piece suit that was a mixture of blue and silver, with dark lapels. It wasn't super-formal, but Noctis looked stunning in it nevertheless, and Prompto had to swallow thickly as he tried to muster a smile in greeting. Noctis didn't seem to notice his discomfort as he was already running his fingers through his slicked back hair to get it back into its usual unruly state.

Lady Lunafreya next to him chuckled before her gaze fell upon Prompto. She wore a simple-looking white dress that went well with her reflection and Noctis suit. She looked just as stunning as the prince, yet Prompto's stomach didn't do the same funny flip that it had done earlier when his eyes had first landed on the prince. 

The lady's gaze softened when she recognized the blond and she stepped forwards as Prompto got up to greet her with all the honors that a simple man like him could give her. Before he could say anything, however, she had taken hold of his hands and said, "Mercury, I'm sorry that I was the one to ruin Prince Noctis' carefully crafted scheme. He has been planning to tell you for such a long time that I was sure it had already happened when I saw you at the recording studio... Please accept my sincerest apologies."

Prompto was rendered speechless and he started stammering unintelligible gibberish. He was _trying_ to say things like, 'it's okay' and 'I should have figured it out sooner myself' and 'it's not your fault,' but nothing like that came out. It was only when Noctis snorted that Prompto found his speech again.

"Ah! It's not your fault though! I-I mean, um, I've been a fan of you ever since... since your debut! I-I mean, I haven't really been following _Game of the Gods_ recently, but I made a painting for it and-"

"Oh, they were gorgeous!" Lady Lunafreya beamed. "Better even than Vanilla Moon. From what Noctis had told me, I had thought you only painted stills, but these portraits were so good and captured each personality of the Six so well! You really have an eye for details like that, Mercury. I'm sure that you will become even more famous soon."

Momentarily blinded by the brightness of the Lady's smile, Prompto needed another moment to pull himself together again. "Ah, I... I hope so? I-I mean, I've been painting on stage with Monsters of the Deep recently and it's something... Something completely different than anything I've ever done before, but it's a lot of fun, even if the paintings look totally different than what I can do when I don't have... When I don't have that kind of a deadline."

Lady Lunafreya blinked, her light-blue eyes widening for a moment before she chuckled, her voice a gentle chime that reminded Prompto of those little wind-chimes that people would hang outside in the summer. "Performing live on stage is always different than recording something. There's no way to cover up a mistake... Some makes it nervous, but you should see it as challenge to improve yourself. I'm looking forward to seeing more of your art, Mercury."

"...Prompto," the blond corrected after a moment's hesitation and he could feel his cheeks heating up. But this was something that he had vowed to do and since everyone was present then and there, he decided it was now or never. "My name... My _real_ name... is Prompto Argentum. It's... it's an honor to meet you, Lady Lunafreya. And yes, I know it's the same element, that's why I chose it. I guess I wasn't all that creative back then."

Lady Lunafreya looked at him in stunned surprise for a moment before she burst out laughing. "Oh my! Noctis described you in many ways, he even said you were funny, but I didn't realize just how funny you really are! On the other hand, it takes a lot to make Noctis laugh and he said you managed this feat many times!"

Prompto looked to the floor in embarrassment and wished that he could pull back one of his hands from Lady Lunafreya's hold to rub the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm nothing special..." he tried to deflect, but the Lady was having none of that. Instead, she just squeezed his hands.

"We are _all_ special to someone," she smiled up at him again.

That was another thing. Even though Prompto knew that Lady Lunafreya was smaller than Prince Noctis and he knew that he and Noctis were about the same height, he had always thought that somehow she would be taller than him. Maybe she had been, once, at the beginning of her career. But Prompto had barely been a teenager then, over ten years ago. Well, Luna hadn't been much older, really, but even with her debut at fourteen years old, she had been dignified and regal, whereas Prompto had been this sad kid that was much too fat because he only knew how to buy fast food for himself.

"Speaking of which," Nyx said after he cleared his throat. The man had stood up with Prompto and lingered behind him during the entire exchange of the painter with the idol and was now stepping forward to greet the new-arrivals.

What Prompto hadn't counted on however, was the fact that Lady Lunafreya's face lit up even more as she heard the man's voice. It was as if every little bit of her professional mask of happiness fell off her and was replaced by real glee.

"I'm glad your plan was such a great success, but did they have to make the car shake? No one's gonna believe they really did it in that kind of public space," Nyx commented as Lady Lunafreya dropped his hands and hurried over to the guitarist.

"Nyx! It's been too long. How are you, my love?" Lady Lunafreya beamed as Nyx wrapped his arms around her body.

"Better, now that you're back in my arms, princess," Nyx smiled and looked back at the Lady with the softest expression Prompto had ever seen on the man's face. She leaned up and kissed him sweetly on the lips, her expression just as gentle.

Suddenly, everything that Noctis had said about Nyx and Lunafreya fell into place and Prompto's eyes widened comically as he looked from one to the other.

"Oh my god, you two are married?" Prompto gasped and stared at the pair in disbelief, unable to close his mouth. Noctis stepped up right next to him and put a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Told you, huh?"

Nyx rolled his eyes as Prompto's mouth snapped shut with an audible click.

"You guys are really a bunch of assholes. You let me believe you were regular people when I'm really talking to the top elite of Lucis and _now_ I also know a capital secret?" Prompto whined, feeling all of his frustrations from the first day he had learned about Noct's real identity return. Thankfully though, he didn't get angry this time, but only voiced his frustrations. "I mean, I'm so sure I'm gonna blurt out everything on the spot, you could just kill me right now!"

Everyone fell silent before Noctis squeezed his shoulder again. "Hey, no one's gonna kill you, okay? Also, you're good at keeping secrets. I didn't know your real name until you told me, I didn't know where you lived until I asked your friend. Not even Ignis could find out your name and he's... Well, he's good at finding out things."

Ignis, who had been trailing behind Noctis and Lady Lunafreya, pushed up his glasses before he nodded, looking a little flustered that Noctis had just revealed one of his failures. He cleared his throat and stepped up before he said, "Well, it seems as if I have to organize a whole campaign to cover up the fact that the Prince of Lucis has been doing uncouth things with Lady Lunafreya. I'm not sure what we can tell the media, but remind me not to hire these two body doubles again. They went a little overboard there."

"That they did, but it will certainly keep them out of our hair for a while," Noctis replied. "I think it was pretty funny, right, Luna?"

Lady Lunafreya just chuckled as she leaned into Nyx' chest. "Well, considering that it's pretty much impossible to have sex in your car, people must be pretty insane to believe we really did that."

Prompto bit his tongue so that he didn't gasp out loudly at Lunafreya's bold words. Noctis rolled his eyes at her and Nyx just chuckled.

"Well, you gotta know. Can't say we didn't try out every way possible," he smirked, making Luna blush who then hit his chest playfully.

Prompto just kept staring, his mouth dropping open in disbelief. "I can't believe a word I'm hearing. I thought... Lady Lunafreya was the epitome of prim and proper and just..."

"Oh, she is," Nyx snorted and pulled Luna closer to his chest. "When she has to be. But I thought you learned already that we're all just human, and Luna is a woman with desires and needs..."

"Oh _gods_ ," Prompto groaned and put his hands over his ears. "I'm not listening to you! Lalalalalala!" As Nyx chuckled, Prompto ran a hand over his face in disbelief. "No one's gonna believe _that_."

"After that stunt in the car, people just might," Ignis sighed and frowned. "I said it was a bad idea."

"Well, Prom here pointed out that what we had done before looked fake, so I think it's better to overdo it and have people on the edge of their seats, so to say. Luna and I have been dating for the public much too long anyway to still play the couth couple. We're young, everyone our age is doing it," Noctis explained matter-of-factly, distracting Prompto from his speech for a second with the new nickname.

"'Prom'?" he echoed, but obviously, the discussion wasn't over yet and his quiet protest fell on deaf ears.

"No one is actively doing these things in a semi-public space, _Noct_ , especially not the prince and even less with a religious symbol like Lady Lunafreya," Ignis chided, sounding extremely exasperated and done with this discussion. Prompto was sure that this wasn't the first time they had a similar discussion about this kind of topic.

"Um... yeah, I'm kinda on Ignis' side here, this... might have been overdoing it," he piped up. "People might think it's an act now..."

Noctis looked at him with wide eyes at first and then sighed. "I guess... I can see where you're heading with this. Ignis, let's prepare a speech where we tell them that those were body doubles while we headed to a private birthday party for Lady Lunafreya, just that they overdid their job and didn't have our consent. Pay the actors twice though, okay?"

"Understood, your highness," Ignis replied and somehow, it felt really, really off that he addressed Noct like that. On the other hand, this were the royal advisor and the Prince of Lucis talking, so that kind of respect was to be expected after all.

"Sorry about that... but I guess I still owe you a big thanks for pointing out these things to me. I don't know... how people see these kinds of things, so I'm grateful for you speaking up like that," Noctis said to Prompto, who grinned sheepishly in return.

"Well, _your highness_ , I'm sure a pleb like me can teach you a thing or two about the modern life," Prompto gave back and almost burst out laughing at Noctis' pained expression.

"You don't... you really don't need to call me that," he said. "I mean, um, if you don't like it that I called you Prom, that's fine, I'll go back to Mercury, but-"

"Nah, that's fine. No one called me that before, but who am I to say no to the Prince of Lucis?" Prompto grinned still, even though Noctis didn't look amused at all.

"Seriously. Tell me if you don't like it and it was the last time," Noctis said, but Prompto just shook his head.

"It's fine, really. I mean, if you do it in private. In public, like interviews and concerts and such, please stick to Mercury, okay?"

Noctis looked at the blond, the slow understanding in him growing and he nodded. "I understand. Well, welcome to the family, Prom."

"Ehehe, thanks!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TBH, I worked so hard on the build up to the reveal of Noctis' identity that I felt a little... uninspired to write lately. I still have a lot of things to tell, but I kinda have lost some of my steam. I'm working on getting back in the flow, though~. I need to play cupid for Noct and Mercury, right? ;D


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto has realized something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for bearing with my whining. This has been a hard chapter to write, but I think the way it turned out has become quite good. I spent sooo long editing it, as those of you following me on twitter might have read. I really hope the next chapter will be easier to write, I think I was just confused because I can finally start writing about these idiots' feelings.- xD
> 
> Now for the fanart:  
> Banira/Layann posted quite a lot and I'm sure many of you have seen it already, but at this point, there's quite a bit of NSFW stuff. It's tagged and I'll mark it here as well.  
> *NSFW/SPOILERS (haha)  
> [Not 100% nsfw, but it's pretty obvious what they're doing. xD](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/173764934071/been-working-on-so-many-doodles-3)  
> [This is set at the very end of this story, because they're their older versions and at the Citadel and... WELL. 100% NSFW](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/174378019301/shelter-you-can-buy-me-a-ko-fi-for-more-smut)  
> [Remember the Gaming Date from White Day? This is the NSFW continuation of it. ;D 100% NSFW](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/174535063431/small-and-messy-sketchidea-i-will-probably-never)
> 
> Now for the non-NSFW pictures, which are also slight spoilers:  
> [Quick kiss picture that's set in one of the next few chapters. :D](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/174218159841/more-quick-kissing)  
> [Set much later in the story, here's a picture of King Noctis, wearing skinny ripped jeans. ](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/174525177236/i-got-super-frustrated-with-digital-drawing-last%20) (I loved the reactions on twitter for this one, lol. XD)

Luna's birthday party was pretty much like the New Year's party had been. The only thing different was the fact that Luna took the center stage and sung most of the songs in their impromptu karaoke session. After he had listened to Noctis so many times, Prompto was surprised that a professional like Luna was indeed as good as she appeared to be on TV. Her voice live was even better than it was recorded, whereas Noctis still needed some technical 'help' from time to time. At least Prompto had learned that during the few days he had joined the recordings.

Speaking of which, while Noctis and Luna sang duet after duet, Nyx told Prompto that they weren't that behind on their schedule, even though their lead singer had skipped a few recordings due to the lack of sleep. They were almost finished recording the instruments and since Nyx was the one responsible for most of the sound, he made sure that everything was as ready as it could be. Noctis and Prompto both only had to sing the lyrics above the music. The rest was the mixers work and then they could send it off to printing. Well, when Prompto was done with the booklet.

" _The boy is mine_ ," Luna and Noctis sung over the lines of an old song originally by two women. Prompto watched them for a moment, admiring just how much fun they were having, doing a little choreography as well.

He shook his head and got out a few sample prints for the CD cover that he had made. He had used the portrait of Noctis for the cover of the one he liked most after all, and put most work into that as well. The others were okay, but Prompto knew that he would have to retouch those a bit more. Of the three variants he had with him, only one had a photograph of Noct on it. The others were from the times they goofed off during the recordings, but none of them were as good and didn't feel as meaningful. After all, Monsters of the Deep wouldn't exist without Noctis' efforts.

The duet ended with Noctis and Luna laughing over the end of the lyrics, which were just repetitions of the refrain, as they faced each other rather than the not-so-attentive audience. As Prompto wondered if they were singing about anyone in particular, like Nyx, who played a big part in either of their lives, Nyx waved Noctis over and showed him Prompto's work. While Noctis directed his full attention to the pictures, Prompto watched him closely until he recognized the next song Luna had chosen to sing. Surprisingly it was by one of Prompto's favorite bands from Nifelheim, one of the few that had actually set foot onto the music scene in Lucis after the war.

To Prompto's sheer surprise, Luna could imitate the smoky voice of the The Gilets' singer perfectly and he had to look twice to make sure that it wasn't her. 1

" _I'm losing my favorite game_ ," Lady Lunafreya sang with a smoky timbre, her voice dripping with emotion and a surprising amount of sex appeal. Well, maybe not that surprising to Nyx, who was used to her like that, but to Prompto, it was still brand new information. Seeing her sing like that, he started to understand that she, too, was just a normal person and not the ethereal idol that everyone deified in their everyday life.

As Nyx turned to watch her, she smiled and took the microphone with her to saunter over to them. Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted from a performance to a private moment between the two and Prompto found himself holding his breath as Lunafreya settled on Nyx' lap and continued to sing. 

" _I'm losing my favourite game, you're losing your mind again..._ " Lady Lunafreya all but moaned and Prompto had to avert his eyes, because it felt like he was indeed intruding something very private, something that he wasn't supposed to see. Instead, he focused on Noctis looking at the booklets, trying to ignore the fact that his cheeks were burning.

It was only when the song had ended and Lady Lunafreya and Nyx were making out lightly right next to him that Noctis finally voiced his opinion on the booklet.

"I really hate to say this, but I like this one the most," he said with reluctance and held up the one that showed his portrait. "It's... I don't know, the most balanced and refined, and I really like that there are small pictures of everyone inside." 

Sighing deeply, Noctis turned to the cover and looked at his own image in silence for a really long time. Prompto watched him and tried to imagine his thoughts and he was pretty sure that he could picture them quite accurately.

So when Noctis turned to look at him, he wasn't really surprised that he started with, "You know... I really don't want to make this about _me_ ," and then trailed off as Prompto was distracted by Lunafreya and Nyx laughing at each other after they had broken the kiss. He turned his gaze back at Noctis though when the pause seemed to draw out too long.

"But I know that many of our fans focus on me first and foremost. I just... I don't want them to recognize me as the prince, but then I don't know how many already have," Noctis sighed, turning to look at Prompto for what the blond thought was help.

"Well, if it means anything, I hung out with you for almost a year and didn't make the connection," he shrugged and grinned lopsidedly. "I was looking at a lot of pictures of you recently and tried to make sure that this one looks the least... _princely_. I think it's gonna be fine," Prompto assured him.

Noctis looked at him for a moment and then back at the cover. He turned it a few sides and then frowned at it. "You're... right. That's not the angle people usually get of me when they take my picture as the prince," he said eventually, sounding as if he had just surprised himself. "Maybe this can work..."

"Heh, see? I'm sure it works! And for those who see some similarity, they might just think that it's unlikely for the Prince of Lucis to do something as brazen as to sing in a band," Prompto reasoned. It was one of the main points why he didn't make the connection for such a long time, because the fact that the Prince of Lucis would hang out in cheap pubs and bars to sing in a rock band was such a ridiculous idea. Then again, it was just as ridiculous as Lady Lunafreya being married without anybody noticing. 

"And if anyone does make the connection, I can always deny everything and say it was the body double's other job... if anyone really keep on asking questions," Noctis continued his train of thought.

"I... I guess that works as well? I mean, since he's supposed to look like you. Or at least should," Prompto frowned. He had no idea what that other guy's face looked like, so he couldn't say anything about the success of such a plan.

"Well, gotta talk about the details with Iggy first, but I guess we can use this one after all. If Ignis approves of it," Noctis replied, but he sounded a lot more confident about this than he had before.

Surprisingly enough, Ignis agreed to the plan and Prompto was happy that his tactics to use his preferred choice of cover had worked out after all. Then, they discussed the name of the album, but Noctis was adamant on using the title of a song he had written mostly by himself. It was a powerful song, very emotional and deep and since Prompto could reason now what was going on in Noctis' head, he thought that it was a very personal song. It was a bit like _[Blue]_ , yet a little more melancholic, dramatic even, but Prompto really liked the crescendo once he heard it for the first time.

Plus he couldn't help thinking that _hidemind_ held some message to him and especially him. To Prompto, the lyrics mirrored Noctis' desire to tell him the truth, his wish not to hide who he really was anymore. How it must have tortured him not to be fully himself, unsure how Prompto would react. And not just Prompto, but everyone else as well. Once again, Prompto was sure that it hadn't been easy to get to this point where Noctis was allowed to do what he wanted to do. All these etiquettes and rules were surely more restricting than anything Prompto had ever been through and that included the time when he didn't have much money and wanted to have so many things at once.

Seeing how Luna and Nyx interacted around those who knew about their marriage, he was sure that some of these feelings also reflected the idol's view on the world. She and Noctis probably talked a lot about the restrictions that were put upon them.

Well, Prompto had absolutely no problem with the title and seeing how he was a part of the band now, he voiced his opinion out loud and in the end, _hidemind_ became the title of the album as well. It was a good solution, too, since they did not have to come up with another title in addition to those 11 song titles. Thinking of titles was always the hardest part of producing something.

~*~

After Lady Lunafreya's birthday, September and October were busy with preparations for the quick record release tour. They had four gigs planned at the end of the year, after Christmas, when Noctis was done with his royal duties for the years. The record was due to come out shortly before Christmas as well, so that everything would fall into place then. Even if it was going to be cold, Prompto looked forward to it.

At some point in September, Ignis reminded Prompto that he still needed to sign the contract that made him an official member of Monsters of the Deep, and it took them until the end of October to finalize everything and announce him as an official member on November the first. Prompto's head was still swimming after Lady Lunafreya had sent him a birthday present just one week prior. The basket full of fruits and specialties from Tenebrae was by far the best present anyone had ever made and he had teased Noctis with that as the other invited him over for a dinner in the evening. Even if the view over Insomnia from the restaurant was absolutely incredible and his new t-shirt was long and baggy and exactly the one he had told Noctis about two days prior. It was dark red and had 'Royal Puppy' written on it and he just loved the picture that went with the text. Apparently Noctis had thought the same and given it to him over the dinner table after they had ordered their drinks.

The rest of the year went by in a blur for Prompto, who was busy with planning stage sets more often than he had ever thought he would at the beginning of this career. He was surprised just how relaxed a constant, regular influx of money made him, making him bolder and bolder each time he thought of something new. Soon, however, he got to the point where no one around him knew if it was even possible technically to exchange very large paintings in the middle of a gig, so they decided they had to look for professional help.

And of course, Prompto just knew the right person.

His old college friend Cidney Aurum was the same as Prompto remembered her. All smiles, grease on her face from working with mechanics every other day, and the least fabric on her skin as decently possible. Prompto didn't tell her with whom she was really dealing, he just told her that he was part of an upcoming band and that they loved playing live on stage and needed her help with some effects. Her experience and knowledge were exactly what they were missing, but when she suggested that they could just float around on cables, both Prompto and Noctis refused quickly and adamantly. Neither of them was fond of losing the ground under their feet, especially not while they were performing.

Summer was back in Insomnia and it was hot. After _hidemind_ , they had published one more single with three songs and were now in the middle of producing their next mini album. As every year, Prompto envied Cidney and Gladio both for having the confidence to walk around with as little clothing as they usually wore while he still preferred his loose, long shirts. Noctis was back to wearing that weird, puffy vest again and as they sat in Prompto's atelier to talk over their plans and ideas for the next tour, Prompto couldn't help but notice that someone of their group had become interested in his old friend.

"Mercury," Gladio asked him after half a day of brainstorming during a break. He had volunteered to help Prompto get the bottles from the refrigerator for everyone and the blond just _knew_ that something was up as he was handing the cold bottles from the fridge to the bigger man. "Do you know if Cidney has a boyfriend back in Lestallum?"

Prompto just looked at him in utter disbelief for a full minute, frozen on the spot as the cold of the bottle seeped into his skin before he snorted. "I don't know? Why don't you go ask _her_ instead of me?"

"Would do that, but I thought I could ask someone who knows her better if I should even make the effort," Gladio shrugged, a tiny blush high on his cheeks as he hugged five ice-cold bottles covered in condensation to his chest. The cold made his nipples harden and perk up and Prompto had a hard time tearing his eyes off them as they were practically begging for attention. Or maybe he was still baffled by the missed opportunity of the tattoo artist to make it look like the bird of prey was trying to bite his nipple. Now, it was a few centimeters off and somehow, it kept bothering his aesthetic senses.

"Dude, I've never had a second date with anyone and never one with Cidney, but I don't think this is how you do things," Prompto said matter-of-factly as he rolled his eyes and looked away from the large tattoo. "I'm not gonna be your wingman."

"Hey, what'cher two talking 'bout?" the woman in question asked suddenly as she entered the room, startling both men to turn around and look at her. Cidney tilted her head and smiled at Prompto while Gladio hugged the bottles a little tighter. "Sorry, sweetie, but can you tell me where the toilets are?"

"Just down the hallway until you're almost at Quercus' office. There's a sign on it, too," Prompto explained and smiled back at her.

"Thanks, sweetie! You're the best!" the woman beamed and skipped off to find the toilet. As Prompto turned to watch Gladio, the man stared after her with the funniest smile on his face and the blond couldn't stop himself from snorting a laugh.

"Man, you should see your face. Never saw anything more ridiculous," Prompto teased and tossed another bottle at the taller man. "Come on, big guy. Let's go back. I'm sure Nyx and Noct are already arguing over something that they can't control again."

Gladio snorted, but agreed. They walked back to the spacious atelier, where Noctis and Nyx were indeed arguing over the shape of a canvas that Prompto hadn't even decided whether or not he wanted to use it on stage.

Even though the two of them were friends, or, well, as close friends as Noctis could be with someone older than him whose first priority was to protect the Prince while trying to bring his own creative vision across. As they had gotten more and more successful, Noctis had also gotten more comfortable in his songwriting abilities and had been writing many more songs over the months. Prompto suspected that it had to do with the fact that his duties as the prince had kept him more busy than the year before, and that Noctis was getting frustrated with that. Thus he wrote songs to vent and, well, sometimes it showed in the quality of the songs.

Prompto's personal favorite was still the song about asses and to his great horror, it had made its way on the extra disc of _hidemind_ along with three other unplugged songs and now everyone in Eos could listen to his horrible singing of a silly song.  2

However, after Prompto had learned that Nyx was also co-writer to most of Lady Lunafreya's songs, Prompto trusted his instincts more when it came to good songs than Noctis' moods. Even if the songs the prince had written had proven to be good and popular among the fans, Nyx' songs were still the best overall.

Breaking up an argument between the two was pretty easy though, especially when Prompto told them that _he_ was the one responsible for the visuals of their band and that they should just trust him. Still, all this bickering was making Prompto nervous, especially since there was absolutely no arguing or bickering going on between him and Noctis. At all.

Sometimes, when Prompto lay awake at night because he couldn't sleep, he worried that something was wrong between them. Weren't friends to bicker or disagree from time to time? About greater things than which was the better Assassin's Creed part or which was the greatest song in the world. He loved that they could talk about anything and everything and it was really nice to know that he had someone he could be himself around with. At least to the point where Prompto was sure that friendships turned into something else, but since he was absolutely inexperienced when it came to friendships, he wasn't really sure where that point was.

However, he could sense absolutely nothing hidden under Noctis' smiles and laughs that were directed at him. The only thing he sensed was... well. He would describe it with romantic tension if that was a word, but Noctis had time and time again emphasized that this wasn't anything that he wanted from anyone ever. Well, not in the near future and not from a friend, even if Prompto kept getting mixed signals. His friendship with Prompto was more important to him than anything else, as he kept saying every time he was drunk from one beer and hanging off Prompto's shoulder.

Usually, those nights would start with a band meeting that ended up being at the pub that Libertus was running part time when he wasn't working for the Kingsglaive, where they drank beer and ate snacks until they were full and tired. Then, Ignis would tell Gladio to carry Noctis to the car and they disappeared in the direction of the Citadel, while Nyx and Crowe returned to the Citadel on the woman's motorbike. Prompto could usually make his way home lone safely, his mind swimming from all the physical contact with Noctis and words like, "I love you, dude. You're the best!" "You're cute, you know? Your hair looks like a chocobo. I like chocobos. Chocobos are cute." "Man, I really love you artwork! It's the best! Do you want to become a royal painter? I'm sure we can arrange something, I'll just ask my dad!" "Your eyes... they have such an interesting color. Are they blue? Are they violet? Either way, it's a really pretty color!"

Really, if Prompto didn't know better, he would think that Prince Noctis was flirting with him. More than once he had caught the prince looking at him with that dreamy sort of smile, the one he would see on people smitten with whomever they were looking at. He used to love that look, but not knowing where he stood with Noctis - or knowing it well enough, but getting other signals! - turned that into his main source of frustration and more sleepless nights when he wondered what he was supposed to think.

It wasn't like he didn't like the attention. Quite the opposite. Prince Noctis was very good-looking, that wasn't a secret. But he was also funny and the right kind of nerdy to talk with Prompto about his favorite games and things. He was attentive, kind, loved animals as much as Prompto did and every day, Prompto fell a little harder for the other until he realized that he was head-over-heels for the Prince of Lucis. To know that there wasn't really a chance of changing their relationship from 'friends' to something more was frustrating and exhausting, but then again, Prompto cared about their friendship and the band too much to let this become a problem between them, even though he was sure that it wouldn't end well one day.

So he endured the attention and went with it the best way he could think of: by taking everything with humor. Sometimes he wondered though, if the others had figured him out by then.

Maybe that was why he didn't really like the idea of Gladio hitting on Cidney. She was like a sister to him and while he respected and admired Gladio, he couldn't help but think he was a little shallow for chasing after her just because she wore crop tops and hot pant jeans.

Prompto had just so managed to clear up the argument between Nyx and Noctis this time as Crowe and Libertus arrived and so they presented the ideas to them as well. Needless to say, they were impressed, especially since Prompto had pushed the limits of what they could do to the almost impossible. But Cidney had reassured him that they could cover a wall with canvases and move them around on cables, too.

Once the cheers and congratulations had died down and Prompto's back felt sore from all the slaps and hugs, everyone decided to go drinking once again. Both to thank Cidney for her hard work and to celebrate the new design of their upcoming tour.

At the pub3 of their choice, they were led to their usual table, which was separated from the rest of the pub by walls and a curtain through which the waiter would come and take their order and bring their drinks and food. They sat on cushions on the ground, stretching out their legs under the table as they leaned back against the walls. It was almost like sitting in someone's home and given how familiar everyone was by then, they could really be considered as some kind of family.

The biggest and warmest family that Prompto had ever had.

Just that thought alone made him incredibly happy, adding to the warm and fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach from the beer he had been drinking. After an hour, he was at his third and barely felt the buzz thanks to the greasy snacks he had been nibbling on, while Noctis was clutching his second glass of beer like a lifesaver. He was grinning stupidly as his head lay on Prompto's shoulder, watching the scene on the other side of the table unfold.

Gladio was doing his best to impress Cidney, but Prompto's friend was in a heated discussion about the pubs and nightclubs and other sights of Lestallum. Crowe had prompted her rant after indicating that she was interested in going on vacation there during the cold months of Insomnia. Now, she was hanging onto every word from Cidney's lips, much to the chagrin of Gladio, who was trying to grab Cidney's attention by saying things that would lead from something she had said. However, it didn't seem as if Cidney was interested in the least to return to Insomnia any time soon.

When Crowe added that she wanted to see the concert of the singer-songwriter that Cidney liked so much in Lestallum soon, it was as if Gladio had turned into air for them. After he had groaned in frustration and ordered himself some whiskey that he nursed for the rest of the night, he became a good sport again and talked with Libertus and Nyx about other things again.

All that time, Noctis continued to rest his head on Prompto's shoulder, smiling solemnly at his friend's attempt of flirting. He kept commenting Gladio's tactics to Prompto, much like a sports narrator, which was too funny for Prompto to stop himself from grinning, but as Noctis said something like, "Oh no, he hasn't realized yet that she's out of his league. This will be a hard pill to swallow once he finds out she's not even the least interested," he could only snort in amusement because it was true.

Thus, it wasn't a surprise when Cidney asked him if he would feel bad if she didn't stay the night at his apartment as they had planned, but somewhere else. He grinned and winked as he said, "go get her, tigress!"

The whole episode with Cidney had a whole different effect as well, namely that Noctis kept falling quiet next to him before he draped himself a little more than usual all over him. If Prompto didn't know any better, he would have said that Noctis was trying to lay claim on him, but... he was just imagining things, right?

Later, after Cidney and Crowe had left - together, much to Gladio's chagrin - and the rest of Monsters of the Deep was getting ready to leave as well, Noctis asked him if he and Cidney had ever been a couple. 

The question had taken Prompto completely by surprise though, but what else could he do but answer that one truthfully? There had been a time when he had had a crush on her - because who didn't? - but he never got around to asking her out on a date and just as he had gathered enough courage, she had announced that she would leave for Lestallum. And since Prompto didn't want to burden her with a long-distance relationship or anything, he had just congratulated her and kept quiet about his crush.

What he didn't mention was the fact that this flame had kindled down slowly and died out slowly over the years, leaving behind what was more like a love between siblings. Now, Prompto had realized, there was someone new he had developed feelings for. Someone he couldn't have either because they were so far out of his league, that he was sure it was considered treason to approach them about it, so he told himself to forget about it right from the start. Going after it wouldn't make sense anyway and probably cause more harm than do good in the end.

Noctis took the answer with a nod, a lot more subdued than he usually was after three glasses of beer. Aside from the fact that he had been draped over Prompto with his head on his shoulder and his left arm lying on his upper thigh, he had been uncharacteristically quiet all evening. Not that it was worrying, but since Prompto was usually at the end of his attention, of his outbursts, silly jokes and laughter, he realized that something was different from the usual.

There had only been a few jokes this night and a lot of glances from him to Cidney. Whatever that meant.

Well, Prompto knew what they usually meant, but since Noctis had made it clear time and time again that he wasn't interested in him _like that_ , he could hardly be _jealous_ , right? And if he was, it was only because he was jealous of another close friend, Prompto reasoned with himself. Like, he rationalized, since Prince Noctis had never had a friend like Prompto before, he felt jealous that Prompto had had a friend before him. Someone who he was still friends with and would - naturally - divert his attention onto. It was pretty childish, but if he never learned to do this as a child...

Really, Noctis being unable to share a friend sounded a lot more plausible than Noctis being jealous because he might actually have developed some sort of romantic feelings for him as well.

No matter if a part of Prompto was hoping so much for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 If you can tell me who I'm talking about when I mentioned The Gilets, drop me a line. :D
> 
> 2 If you can get your hands on the unplugged version of _Jack_ , there's the bit I'm talking about at the end of the recording. It's short and silly. ^^;  
> 3 This kind of pub is called "izakaya" and is a traditional pub-like Japanese restaurant, where you go to drink. You get cold and warm snacks and it's really nice and cozy. Usually where you go with your co-workers after work and you sit on the floor with a hole in the ground where you can put your feet under the table. Or you just sit on the ground with your legs folded under your body, It's really cozy and since you don't really invite friends over to your apartment to celebrate, it's also as private as you can get.
> 
> If you want know why the lyrics of _hidemind_ are so special, [here](https://hoshi-yuki.livejournal.com/24110.html) are the lyrics with translations and the video to the song. I like it a lot, I will probably write some part (chapter, side-story) about it to pick it and Prompto's feelings apart.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis still hasn't figured things out, but he's pretty sure he's coming down with a kidney stone or something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Banira drew [the scene at the bar](http://makikoigami.tumblr.com/post/174789363041/layann-sorry-this-i-was-tired-and-it-was) for you all. :D

Cidney Aurum was without a doubt - and speaking from a neutral kind of viewpoint - a very attractive woman. She had a body like a model, but with more curves in the right places and she was definitely the kind of girl that Gladio would go for. He liked them fit, curvy and with a cute smile and Noctis could definitely see her appeal and why everyone was suddenly so close to her and wanted to please her in every little way. To think that Gladio would volunteer to go with Prompto and get them _all_ something to drink was in hindsight rather amusing.

However, Noctis also had to admit that Cidney was just as passionate about her craft as each and everyone of them. She even had the same kind of aura as Prompto had and somehow, it was something that rubbed Noctis the wrong way and yet he was unable to figure out _why_.

The first time he met Cidney was in front of Prompto's apartment. She greeted him with his incognito name and one glance to the painter confirmed that he hadn't told her about his real identity. So Noctis smiled back and shook her hand, carefully keeping his eyes above her collar line.

"He's cute," Cidney grinned to Prompto after they had shaken hands and walked the short distance to Prompto's atelier, where they had agreed to meet the others for this tour planning thing.

As they walked, Prompto and Cidney caught up chattering about this and that and Noctis was able to learn a few things aside from the facts that he already knew. As he fell behind the two blonds, he watched them converse so naturally, laughing and joking as if they had never known it any different. Well, maybe they hadn't, but there wasn't any touching between them aside the occasional shoulder bumping from Cidney to Prompto when she teased him about a thing or two. Prompto would blush adorably then and Noctis could feel a strange rumble in the pit of his stomach, making him wonder if he had had anything weird for breakfast.

He couldn't remember anything, so he went back to watching the adorable blush high on the painter's cheeks. Noctis realized that he was smiling fondly back at his cute smile, and he would forever move mountains just so that Prompto would keep smiling like that. But he also wanted to protect him from being uncomfortable and awkward, wanted to push him to be proud of himself. Whenever Cidney came up with another embarrassing college episode for Prompto, his stomach twisted with the need to go back in time and protect him from all these mishaps.

The meeting was very creative and productive for all of them, yet Noctis found himself unable to listen as intently as he wanted to. He felt was like he was attending one of those boring court meetings, just that this time, he wasn't looking at his phone every once in a while, hoping that someone had replied to his messages or something had happened on his social media. No, this time he was looking at that very someone looking at Cidney with adoring eyes as they tossed ideas back and forth. Noctis knew that he should get involved more, that this was his project as well, but he also knew that Prompto - and Cidney - knew better than all of them what looked good on stage and trusted them to make them look as good as possible.. As Cidney started to rattle down prices, Ignis joined the discussion to keep the costs at an affordable level.

Somehow he managed to understand that she invited all of them to a big festival in Lestallum that her friend was organizing. They had invited a bunch of really famous bands, even some of Noctis' idols, but thought that Monsters of the Deep would be a nice, fresh addition.

Even though that was quite the amazing development, Noctis wasn’t really all that enthusiastic. Of course, he was happy, ecstatic almost, but somehow, he couldn’t quite celebrate as much as he thought he should. Even when they went out to eat after their meeting, he still felt a little subdued and lethargic.

Well, at least it didn't seem to be too much out of the ordinary because no one really said anything about it. He just spent the evening leaning against Prompto's side while he watched Gladio's unsuccessful attempts to flirt with Cidney.

As he watched them, the wish grew inside of him that someone could capture Cidney's attention and take her away from here, so that she didn't fuss over Prompto so much anymore. He found himself rooting for Gladio, almost cheering loudly for him, until he realized that Cidney wasn’t interested at all in favor for someone else.

He should have known that Crowe would go for the kill. And - to no one's surprise really - she seemed to be able to score much better than Gladio. Cidney looked much more willing to flirt with Crowe than to even acknowledge Gladio‘s attempts. Needless to say, it was quite amusing to see his Shield try anyway and Prompto next to him kept grinning and giggling all night.

It was cute and Noctis found himself smiling because of this quite a lot as well. Plus, the alcohol was numbing his senses to a level where he didn't worry about anything anymore. Slowly, he started to feel relaxed again and with his second glass of beer he began participating in the conversation as well.

Thinking it was funny, Noctis rested his hand on Prompto's thigh and began to narrate Gladio's moves, much like those narrators that talked over his official appearances to explain what was happening to those who watched the broadcast. Judging from Prompto's snorts of laughter, the blond also thought that he was hilarious and Noctis felt something flutter in the pit of his stomach. Again.

Damn, this had been happening way too many times lately. Whenever Prompto would laugh at any of his stupid jokes, would smile that soft, gentle smile when Noctis showed him something, the prince's stomach churned as if someone was tickling him from the inside. It almost felt as if his intestines were trying to rearrange themselves in the worst kind of way imaginable.

When he had consulted Ignis about it, the other man assured him that he was sure it wasn't anything bad and that it would sort itself out soon enough. He just needed to wait and see.

Gladio had just rolled his eyes and didn't even want to talk about it. And that was before that episode with Cidney, too, which was why Noctis made fun so childishly about his Shield.

What surprised him about this current episode however, was that Cidney left early with Crowe and that she wasn't staying at Prompto‘s anymore, like they seemed to have planned before. Which meant that her luggage was probably still at his apartment, but he was sure that the two women could just exchange clothes if they really needed to.

That served for the mental image of Crowe in Cidney's clothes and Noctis started chuckling again, because he was sure that he had _never_ seen the woman's belly button _ever_ in his whole life. He wondered out loud if she even had one, but no one really reacted on it, so he took a deep breath and fell silent again for a moment.

In his drunken stupor, Noctis' mind went back to the relationship of Prompto and Cidney. They obviously knew each other well and had history, judging just how well they got along as well. And with her attractiveness and at least two of his band members trying to land with her, he couldn't help to think that they might have been more than friends at one point. But what about Prompto? Noctis knew that Prompto was single at the moment, but that didn't mean that he had always been in the past. In fact, he knew _nothing_ about any past or present relationships of the other, because it wasn't anything that he put interest in. But why was it bothering him so much that Prompto and Cidney were so close?

Before he could really stop his mouth from running free, he asked Prompto if the two of them had ever been anything but friends.

There was a moment of stunned silence between the two of them and Noctis tried his best to straighten up. It was then that he realized he was lying almost completely over the blond's lap and he was pretty sure that he would just touch somewhere inappropriate if he tried to move then. So he just waited where he was for Prompto's reply.

"Um... Well, I used to have a crush on her during university, but then again, everyone did. I needed two and a half years to work up the courage to say anything about that in the first place, but then she said she'd be moving to Lestallum and I had absolutely no reason to follow her, so I said nothing in the end. Wouldn't have made sense anyway," Prompto shrugged and sipped on his beer, leaving Noctis to mull his words over on his own in silence. For a moment, he mourned the relationship that Prompto had never had, that could have been so perfect for him. It took him at least ten minutes to realize the real reason behind the blond's words.

Prompto never wanted to burden anyone. Considering that he had always fought for himself, that he had been alone for most of his life, it was only natural that he wouldn't want to impose on someone if he saw no chance for a positive outcome. Even if that meant he ended up suffering on his own for a while, nursing an unintentionally broken heart..

Also, Noctis agreed silently, long-distance relationships sucked. You needed to have a really strong bond to survive those and he was so very proud that Luna and Nyx made it work and that for four years now and it seemed as if they were stronger than ever together. If anything, it was definitely the kind of relationship that Noctis aspired to have some day. He just hoped that his future wife - whoever she might be - would be as headstrong as Luna and as cute as Prompto.

He didn't want anyone who was simply pretty at his side, he wanted someone to have a good time with, to play games with, with whom he could laugh about stupid jokes and listen to his favorite music, who inspired him and pushed him to be better than he could be on his own.

~*~

Noctis' 26th birthday happened to be one of the hottest days of the year and he was glad to spend it mostly in air-conditioned rooms. Luna freshened up quickly after the car ride from Insomnia station to the Citadel with Nyx as her driver and then they left together for a nearby restaurant in the Star of Lucis, Noctis' car.

On their ride, Luna watched him curiously until Noctis felt like saying something.

"How... is that other project of yours going?" Noctis asked, because he didn't want to know what Luna was thinking, but he was sure that it would just be something to embarrass him. She was probably holding back anyway since she wanted to spare him, at least for now.

"Oh, it's coming along lovely!" She replied, looking just a little surprised for a second. "After we've come up with a name, this new makeup brand is going just smoothly. We have so many colors, there will be something for everyone."

"Like...?" Noctis asked, because even though he had some basic knowledge of these kinds of things, he thought that everything existed already.

"Well, you see, my complexion is pretty bright and it always takes two or three different products to get the right shade when we're working on closeups," Luna explained. "It's... okay, but after talking to some of my co-stars, they were complaining about the same thing. Do you even know how many girls and boys out there are looking for the right shade to go with their skin? How many boys and girls want to experiment with colors? If I had had the possibilities ten years ago-"

"You might not have ended up as the kind of idol you are now," Noctis finished for her with a smile. If Luna had used anything but the natural looking makeup that emphasized her 'pure' and 'ethereal' aura, Noctis was sure that people wouldn't have supported her like they did now. She was precious and everyone wanted to protect her, a woman who looked fierce and wore anything but natural colors might have gotten shunned by a lot of her fans.

"Exactly! Also, I wanted these products to be affordable for everyone, because you gotta play around with colors, right? But, as it seems, finding the right balance between good quality and good prices is hard, so we tried to find a good compromise," Luna went on, her cheeks dusted pink in her excitement.

" _We_?" Noctis echoed, taking a turn left and letting the engine roar as he sped down the broad street.

"Mhm," Luna nodded with a smile that bordered on an actual grin.

"Oh, come on, tell me," Noctis snorted. "I don't want to drag every word out of you, and I _know_ you are dying to tell me."

Luna chuckled. "You are right. I'm dying to tell you that I finally managed to convince Nyx to agree to using his name for this brand. It's the perfect mix of exotic and adventurous that I want to express with this line. You should see the pictures! Oh, and Prompto also helped us with the design. You were right, he's a genius when it comes to these things," she gushed, the excited flush on her cheeks only darkening.

Noctis tried to ignore how his heart beat faster at the mention of the painter's name. "Oh? Did he now?" He asked, being as casual as possible about it and not too curious.

Next to him, Luna grinned a little wider, _knowingly_ , that kind of dangerous smile that Noctis had learned to be scared of.

He swallowed as he watched the street, glancing back to her a moment later while he waited for her reply.

"He said he'd volunteer for some photo shoots. Both as a photographer and a model. He even convinced Nyx to model some lipstick colors for some ads, that's how amazing he is."

Noctis couldn't stop the smile spreading over his face at the praise. "He is, isn't he?"

"Mhm," Luna hummed in return, her eyes never leaving his face. It made him nervous, but then again, there wasn't anything that he could do, was there? "He's also very handsome, you should have seen him with some of the samples. It was like he was a professional at applying makeup. His eyeliner was perfectly on point and he knew exactly which colors would work with everyone, especially himself."

Noctis swallowed, unsure where this conversation was going. But the image of Prompto wearing makeup was something that he could probably hardly ever forget. His stomach made a funny flip and he felt like he needed more fresh air, but he blamed it on the fact that he was simply hungry.

"Nyx told me that the two of you will go and watch the late night viewing of some movie after our date," Luna added in that inquisitive tone that she had last used with Crowe to ask her about her budding relationship with Cidney. As it turned out, their supposed one-night stand had turned into something serious and they were trying to make it work, even if it meant that Crowe was traveling back and forth between Insomnia and Lestallum. Well, the band festival would happen soon and Noctis was definitely looking forward to it, but he was even more looking forward to seeing Prompto doing his work there, taking pictures, getting inspired, and just generally being his excited self.

But today, they had agreed to watch the midnight screening of the latest installment of a horror series they both had been following separately ever since it started.

"Um, yeah, we are going to watch Shriek V. I know you don't like horror movies and he bought tickets before he realized that the two of us had this kind of tradition..." Noctis explained, wondering at the same time just why he was doing it. He didn't need to explain himself to anyone when he was spending time with his best friend, not even Luna who was like a big sister to him.

"Hm, but to get the tickets for the midnight screening? It sure looks like he was suspecting that you were busy throughout the day," she gave back and Noctis hated how right she was in her assumption.

Of course Prompto knew that Noctis would be busy throughout the day, he always was when his schedule hadn't been cleared to do some rehearsing. But Prompto also knew that August 30th, September 4th, Christmas and Valentine's Day were special days that he had to spend with Luna so that the media had something to talk about. Over the years, their birthdays had become somewhat of a week-long celebration for lovers, too. It was amusing, really, especially since they were both summer children and summer and chocolate usually didn't go too well together, yet the sweets companies still tried every year. Dark chocolate for the Prince of Lucis, white chocolate for Eos' Idol Lady Lunafreya, both in special boxes that came with cooling packs.

"I guess he was? I don't know, but I'm looking forward to it," Noctis smiled. To be frank, he had thought that he didn't need to see Shriek V after Shriek IV had turned out to be so boring, but reviews said that they were back to the scares and horror of Shriek II, which - in Noctis' opinion - had been the best part so far.

Luna kept silent for a few more moments and Noctis was almost sure that she dropped the subject.

He was completely wrong.

"Are you looking forward to it because of the movie? I thought you said the last one had been so boring and that you didn't want to see the new one," she teased him and Noctis had a hard time not to roll his eyes.

"Yeah, but the reviews said this one would be better and it's a present. I don't... Okay, so maybe I am looking forward to seeing it with my best friend," Noctis admitted with an exasperated sigh, because he knew exactly that this was what Luna wanted him to say. "Was that what you wanted to hear?"

Luna chuckled and beamed at him. "You really like him, don't you?" she asked, her voice soft and oddly nostalgic.

"Yeah? I always did? It's not really a secret," Noctis gave back and winced inwardly at how defensive he sounded. He could already see where all of this was headed and even if Luna said nothing more, the idea had been planted inside of him and would start growing with every touch, every smile and every laugh that he and Prompto shared from then on.

"No, it's never really been," Luna agreed, still smiling that knowing grin and Noctis hated it. He found the parking spot in the garage and killed the engine, wondering what he was supposed to do.

"So now what?" he asked exasperated, glancing to her side.

Luna shrugged, her smile still firmly in place. "I'm happy for you. That you've found someone who makes you happy like that."

Still feeling irritated, Noctis tried to read between the lines of what she wasn't even saying. He knew that there were a lot of things that Luna didn't say, just like he didn't always voice what was bothering him. Over the years, they had learned to know when the other was hiding something and had gotten pretty good at guessing what it was, too. But Noctis was drawing a blank this time and whatever he was deducing from this was atrocious and completely over the top. Or was it?

"Luna, if you're thinking that my interests with Prompto lie anywhere beyond what... What it is, I swear that there's nothing-"

"Oh, it's not _me_ ," Luna interrupted him quickly. "It's just that your fans out there seem to think that you guys are more than friends."

Noctis tried to keep his reaction leveled, but he must have ended up looking constipated because Luna started laughing at him. His cheeks started heating up as well and he tried his best to keep that reaction under control as well.

"Nyx has this hobby to read so called fanfictions about me and, well, you guys as well. He tells me about the most hilarious ones he finds and trust me, you wouldn't believe what people out there can come up with," Luna explained patiently with a small giggle. "It started when I began shooting Game of the Gods, and he swears that it was all coincidence, but the first thing he came across was a story about you and me 'getting it on' and he swears to this day that it was the most disturbing and hilarious thing he has ever read, so I'm going to spare you the details. But it definitely showed that our efforts with these 'dates' were not fruitless."

Noctis stared at her, scandalized, with wide eyes as if she had grown a second head. The words she had just said registered only slowly in his brain because there were just too many mind-boggling things in them. Nyx reading fanfiction? About Luna being... _intimate_ with _Noctis_? Written by her fans? Telling Luna about them so they could have a good laugh about it?

"You... he... _what_?" he gasped, unable to keep the shock from his face.

"Ah, I'm sorry... is that too much for you to handle? That other people imagine you and I being in a sexual relationship?" Luna asked, looking genuinely worried and regretful as she tilted her head at him.

Noctis blinked and thought about that part for a moment before he shook his head. "No... To be honest, I'm more shocked that Nyx reads those and that you're enjoying them with him. Is that... is that something that married couples do?"

Luna chuckled. "To us, it's not different than going to see a horror movie late at night. It's something we do because we enjoy it."

Noctis frowned at her, but he could understand the point she was trying to get at. If you enjoyed spending time with someone, you sought to enjoy various things together, no matter how weird they might seem. Well, at least that was what Noctis wanted from his future relationship, from his future wife. 

He turned 26 today. His father had married his mother at this age, so Noctis suspected that the pressure on him would increase to do the same. The voices demanding that he and Lunafreya made things official started getting louder already, yet Noctis didn't feel ready. He didn't know if it was because he had been faking this relationship for so long that he had no idea how to approach the real thing. 

Then again, he needed to find someone interesting first and if he thought about his fully packed schedule with his duties and Monsters of the Deep, Noctis saw absolutely no free time for him to get into the business of finding himself a wife. And he was much too happy with his personal life at the moment to have anyone new intruding on it. He had his band, his friends, Prompto and his duties. All of these things were pretty fulfilling to him and he couldn't imagine how a new woman could add to this.

Before he could dwell on this any further, Noctis took a deep breath before he put on his professional, princely smile and got out of the car. He hurried to the other side to help Luna get out of the low sports car as well and pulled her into a hug.

"Well then, milady, are you ready to make this birthday unforgettable for me?" he asked, thinking he was suave and cool.

Luna let her finger travel from his forehead down his nose to his lip with a sultry smile of the same kind and Noctis was once again impressed what an amazing actress she was. "Oh, I think already did," she grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me @ Noctis: Consider this. Your wife doesn't have to be a woman.  
> Banira: cut him some slack, he probably only thinks about protocol.
> 
> Okay guys, you've been with us through 26 chapters or 125,984 words of this story. You've told me what you liked about it in the comments, but! I'm curious: What are the things that you like not so much or not at all? What are the points where I can improve? If you don't want your name on here, it's fine to comment anonymously, I can handle it.  
> Also, you can always reach out privately on my [twitter](https://twitter.com/makikoigami) or [tumblr](http://makikoigami.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Oh, and I'm afraid I need to increase the rating with the next chapter. ^^;


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis and Prompto watch a movie and talk about a few things. Due to the nature of what they're talking about, I had to increase the rating of this story. ^^;

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must say, I'm overwhelmed with the feedback I got with the last chapter! I know there are a lot of things you guys want to know and I promise you that ALL of theses things you asked about will get an answer eventually. And I swear, everything I write from this point on has been planned right from the start!  
> These things include:
> 
>   * Noctis' sexuality and his opinion about sex 
>   * Why Prompto refers to his caretaker as his caretaker and not in any other way
>   * What the hell Niflheim is up to
>   * ~~When and how Noctis and Prompto will get married~~
> 

> 
> A few of these things will be addressed in this chapter already, but I promise that we're on the road to Noctis realizing what he feels about Prompto. He does have a mental blockade tough (that I will explain), so please bear with him.
> 
> As for art this week, Banira posted [another NSFW piece](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/174921794531/analog-doodle-that-may-or-may-not-be-related-to), that could be considered as a spoiler. ;D
> 
> Also, [here's a scene](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/175009153336/quick-chapter-28-doodle-still-learning-to-use-the) from this chapter. It's sfw, but a spoiler. ;D
> 
> Last Chapter, [Karmahitme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karmahitme/pseuds/Karmahitme) asked me if it was okay to draw fanart. I said this before, but YES, you are allowed to draw fanart! They drew [a scene from the first chapter](https://art-bit-me.tumblr.com/post/175023273367/a-little-doodle-for-the-first-chapter-of-the)! Thank you very much!!! (sorry I'm posting this 3 days late. ;A;)

Noctis hadn't quite understood at first what Luna had meant with 'giving him something that he wouldn't forget', but now that he stood in front of the cinema where he was going to watch Shriek V with Prompto, he was pretty sure that she had meant the fanfiction thing. As he had been traveling with public transportation to this place on the outskirts of Insomnia, dressed up in his cooling vest, he had started a Moogle search on his phone for 'Monsters of the Deep fanfiction'.

He had gotten a surprising amount of results and as he checked them out, he came across things that he would rather not have seen. He and Nyx? Together as a _couple_? What was the appeal? 

The more he browsed the Nyx/Noct section however, the more he could understand why people liked it. They thought they were rivals over one reason or the other and that this kind of thing built up sexual tension between the both of them. From that point of view, he could see it, but he still thought that there wasn't any sexual tension between them on stage at all.

However, that didn't seem to stop the writers. They kept on writing him with Nyx, usually as the whiny submissive part, sometimes as what was apparently a 'power bottom' but never really on top. Having ventured briefly into the stories that had been written about Prince Noctis and Lady Lunafreya, it was amusing for him to see that _Noct_ and _Noctis_ were almost complete opposites in character. Somehow, he couldn't really decide which one he liked less.

As weird and downright disturbing as it was to read about himself with an older man or do unspeakable things to Luna, he came across a genre that was even more disturbing. Well, it was at least to him. He was so distracted by those comparatively short and rather personal texts that he totally forgot to go back to the Monsters of the Deep stories with MRCRY and Noct.

"Hey Noct, what'cha reading?" Prompto asked as he materialized out of thin air at his side, a special ability that he had acquired just recently. He managed to sneak up on Noctis every now and then and the prince was still trying to get used to his new ability. Just like the newest addition to his face.

"Hey Prom," Noctis greeted him and congratulated himself that he had not jumped out of his skin yet. "I see you're still trying to grow that beard, huh?"

"Hey yourself," Prompto gave back with a grin and shoved him lightly. "I see you still haven't made it to get your hair cut. What did Luna say? And the court?"

"They can't make me. Not like I have the time anyway," Noctis gave back, smiling fondly at his friend. "They just managed to style it earlier, but then I took a shower-"

"-and all their hard work was for nothing," Prompto finished for him and started chuckling. "Dude, you gotta give them credit where credit is due. Your hair's soft, but a bitch to style."

"Yeah, I don't know why I happened to grow it out when it just got hot outside," Noctis sighed and brushed his hair back after lifting his cap and readjusting it again. "Just thought I could go for something different once in a while, and I kinda didn't have time to get it cut, too. What about you? What are you trying to achieve with that goatee of yours?"

"Dunno, I was trying to look more manly. Does it work?" Prompto asked, tilting his chin forward to scratch his fuzz.

"It _might_ work better if it were more visible. Sucks being a natural blonde when it comes to showing off your facial hair, huh?" Noctis smirked, just to remember something he had read about earlier. "Ugh..."

"What, that bad?" Prompto pouted, scratching his chin to fluff up the few fair hairs that he was sporting there.

"No, I just... remembered something I read a moment ago," Noctis sighed and held up his phone. "Luna told me that Nyx sometimes shares fanfictions about her and me with her."

"Fan- _what_?" Prompto asked, his brows drawing together adorably in confusion. Noctis looked at him as if he couldn't believe that the blond had never heard of this. Not with these movies coming out that were essentially fanfics of other movies. It had been all over the media after all and Kwehtter was full of it.

"Fanfiction. I... used to read AssCreed fanfics back when the first part came out," Noctis admitted shamefaced, but with a smile as he decided to humor the blond with a short explanation. Just in case he _really_ didn't know about those kinds of things. "Stories written by fans to fill out certain gaps in the original stories. Or just... stories using the characters in a totally different setting. It's all just for fun and... Why are you grinning?"

Prompto chuckled. "Well, I thought it was adorable that the 16-year-old prince would read fan stories of his favorite characters like a normal human being. I didn't have time for that, but I've drawn some fanart of my favorite characters as well, you know, for practice," he admitted with a shrug. "Before you ask, I don't know where they are. I think I threw them all out."

"Aw, shucks. I would have loved to see some early works of MRCRY," Noctis pouted playfully and shoved him, making Prompto giggle.

"Sorry buddy. I promise you I'll draw you a picture of Altaïr if you want me to. For free too, since it's your birthday," he offered and Noctis snorted.

"You don't have to. I'd much rather have something from you that you put all of your heart into," Noctis said and decided that they could continue this conversation in the movie theater as well. "Do you want some popcorn? My treat."

"Hm, you think they have salt and pepper flavor?" Prompto asked as they walked up to the concession stand and browsed the selection of snacks and drinks they had.

"What's with you and your aversion to sweets? Popcorn's gotta be sweet," Noctis complained as he watched someone in a Shriek mask pass them by.

"You know they only sell it sweet so you get thirsty, buy expensive soda and get even more thirsty?" Prompto shot back, his face lighting up as he spotted salt and pepper flavor on the menu.

"And you're not gonna get thirsty from eating something salty," Noctis huffed, his voice full of doubt. He went up to the register and ordered a large popcorn for Prompto and chocolate covered Chocobo-nuts for himself, as well as a beer for each of them.

On their way to their seats at the back of the cinema, Noctis told Prompto about the rest of the dinner he and Luna had. He promised to take Prompto there on his birthday as well, because the view was just so nice and he wanted to see what kind of pictures the other would take there. 

"Aww, you're taking me on another birthday date? How _princely_ of you," Prompto teased in the light of his birthday of the previous year. "Really, I could get used to that treatment for the rest of my life. Too bad I'm just taking you to see a stupid movie with me, huh?"

"Don't say that. There's nothing I'd rather do but to watch stupid horror movies with you," Noctis gave back with a fond smile as they sat down in their seats and didn't miss the blush on Prompto's cheeks despite the fact that it was pretty dark in the hall. It reminded him of something he had just read about his freckles, one of the things that hadn't been too bad, so he pulled up the sites on his phone again to show Prompto what he was talking about.

"You asked what I was reading earlier, I found these," Noctis sighed and handed Prompto his phone. The page on Kwehtter he had opened showed a picture of the artist smiling from one of the promotional pictures of their last tour, his freckles being a prominent feature. Underneath it was the following text, submitted with the tags #dirtyconfessions and #MotD:

_'Is it really a dirty confession if I want to draw new constellations on MRCRY using his freckles? I mean I'd probably do it on the freckles in his face, but I'm willing to use his whole body, watching him squirm when I lightly drag the pen over his tickle spots.'_

Prompto stared at the screen and thanks to its light, Noctis could see his cheeks reddening further, and he could see him scrolling further down with his thumb, probably seeing more than one person agree to this confession.

"Is that what you look at after a date with Lunafreya?" Prompto asked dryly, his tone a mixture of surprise and disgust as he handed the phone back and sunk deeper into his seat. "People gushing about my freckles?"

"Well, I wouldn't have if Luna hadn't told me about these kinds of people," Noctis replied, pushing the phone back into the blond's hands. "I mean, that one's pretty tame in comparison, I found ones where people were fantasizing about Luna breastfeeding me..." He trailed off in favor of making a face with barely hidden disgust.

"Dude, what?" Prompto snorted, taking the offer to start going through the tag. "Geez, some people really- Holy _shit_!"

"Yeah, I really don't know what these people are thinking," Noctis sighed, staring up front to watch a few more people in masks come in before he turned to look at Prompto again. "Which one do you have there?"

Prompto cleared his throat and read out loud: " _'I'd really love to have Noct's cock between my boobs. Then slide them up and down until he blows his load on my tits.'_ Seriously? I mean, guys fantasize about this kind of stuff, but girls, too? And on a public account no less!"

Noctis stared back at him, eyes wide in shock. He didn't know what was happening, but something had switched in his head as the blond had read these lewd words out loud. Something that he hadn't thought possible. To his stunned horror, a vague picture formed itself, depicting the blond in position between his legs, his chest a perfect cushion for his dick, smiling proudly as he moved up and down.

Why _now_? Why not before, when he had read through much worse of these 'confessions'? Not even the one about someone wanting to dominate him wearing a wedding dress while Luna watched them had sparked such a reaction. Noctis swallowed and could feel cold sweat forming on the back of his neck.

"I guess to each their own? 'Sides, girls also have dirty minds?" he gave back after blinking slowly, just so that Prompto wouldn't worry about his long silence. "I-I mean, Nyx said that Luna's responsible for a lot of input for _Kick Out_ , so, um, yeah."

"Ugh, don't remind me that the assumed purest being on Eos has an active sex life," Prompto whined. "I've had a hard time working my mind around _that_ , even with the help of various porn sites."

Noctis snorted, thankful that Prompto was pulling his mind back from the gutter it was currently in to much safer grounds. He had almost become a professional at holding off comments about any and all aspects of his (non-existent) sexual relationship with Luna, so having other people talk about _that_ didn't make him lose his cool.

Somehow though, he had thought that this could be applied to other people just as well, but obviously that didn't project over to _Prompto of all people_. Noctis desperately needed to find out if this was just special because they were close friends, or if he reacted to being paired off with other people like that was well. But then he remembered he hadn't had any problems when he had found those stories about him and Nyx earlier, giving no reaction at all. On the other hand, maybe Nyx had to read these things out loud to him, too, to trigger that kind of reaction.

However, there was one thing in what Prompto had said that made look at his friend with wide, surprised eyes.

"...Wait, you looked for porn with _Luna_?" Noctis asked flabbergasted, feeling a flare of anger grow inside of him at the revelation.

Well, maybe 'anger' was too strong a word, but something made him sit up straighter and get into a fighting stance. Damn Gladio and his training.

"Ummmmmmmmm... This is where I have to say 'no' to stay alive, right?" Prompto said hesitantly, his eyes shifting everywhere as his cheeks darkened. "Seriously though, no, not with Luna directly. But there are many actresses out there who are kind of copying her style, because, you know, there are a lot of people out there who have a crush on her?"

Noctis thought about the confession of that person who wanted to dominate him while Luna was watching them again. He wondered if porn similar to that very idea existed - because it sounded like a ridiculous porn plot - and before he could stop himself, he asked, "Who was she with in those movies? Random guys?"

"It's kinda cute that you call these videos 'movies'," Prompto teased with a giggle after a moment of stunned silence. "And I can't believe you're _asking_ me that instead of looking them up yourself. It's... pretty embarrassing to talk about those kind of things, you know?"

"What, porn?" Noctis sighed and sunk lower in his chair, keeping his hands folded loosely in his lap. He was aware that this was actually a pretty sensitive matter, but he thought that if people could make jokes about 'his tiny dick' - thanks, Gladio - they could also talk about the porn they watched. As long as they weren't involved themselves, it was fine, right? Noctis would rather not talk about his own sexual experiences to anyone anymore, but he didn't think that anyone would ask him either. On the other hand, maybe Prompto deserved to know at least the gist of the story... "I wouldn't know... I mean, everyone makes dirty jokes, I don't really listen in on them anymore, but I thought porn is just... the same kind of stuff?"

Prompto stared disbelievingly at him for a moment before he sighed. "Well, I'll have you know that porn is in no way a joke. It's serious business with a lot of money involved. Sure, it also exploits a lot of people, but it's one of these big shadow businesses."

Noctis glanced over, wanting to ask more about Prompto's opinion on that, but he didn't think that this was the time or place for it. He knew that there were a lot of sources for problems because porn was bordering on prostitution, slavery and the things that came with it: drugs, violence and organised crime. 

His father had struggled for a long time to get laws made and reinforced in the formerly occupied and new territories that were fair and didn't take away too many of the people's previous privileges. And then he had to send forces to make sure that the police in those territories didn't become corrupted and closed their eyes or joined in on the exploitation. 

Especially prostitution had always been a sensitive subject that sparked many heated discussions whenever a new case made big waves. Even Noctis couldn't see anything bad about the act per se, but he knew that it was not for him. Sex was something that he hadn't been able to enjoy when he had first tried, but he knew that there were people who enjoyed it a lot and didn't mind sharing their bodies for a certain kind of compensation. He did draw the line however if there was anybody involved that forced either side to do something they didn't really want to do.

But that was really hard to find out and prosecute so he kind of agreed with the current laws that banned prostitution. Porn was only allowed if there was a ton of paperwork involved, but he wasn't stupid. It wasn't hard for anyone with a camera to film themselves in the act and upload it to the internet. So, yes, the Prince of Lucis was aware that porn existed, yet he hardly ever looked it up himself. Knowing that there were people who were impersonating his supposed girlfriend made him feel anger... Or was he miffed because it was Prompto who had watched these kinds of videos?

"I'm... aware," he replied, wondering if it would be pushing the boundaries of their friendship to insist on Prompto sharing what he had seen. So, he looked at the blond for help, who returned the look just as curiously and then sighed as he gave in.

"Most of the videos are - basically - about some faceless guy with a pale, blond woman who has the same hairdo as Lady Luna. Others have a pale, blond woman together with someone who looked like... _Ardyn_ ," Prompto whispered, so that no one else heard it. "I mean, it's pretty obvious that this is all due to that series-"

" _Game of the Gods_ ," Noctis supplied and Prompto nodded.

"-but others... well. There is this one guy who is wearing a bad wig, but I'm pretty sure he's trying to look just like... _you_ ," the blond finally admitted, glancing over sheepishly.

Even as Noctis' eyes widened in surprise he realized there was something in the way Prompto was looking at him that told him the blond wasn't telling him everything.

"So. You watched porn with a guy that looked like _me_ ," Noctis echoed, feeling his cheeks heat up at the revelation of _that_. Surprisingly enough, Prompto's cheeks turned even darker and he looked away himself.

"Well, _d'uh_. Kinda stumbled across those when I was... _browsing_ around, you know? Also, after that stunt your body doubles pulled in the parking lot last year, I'm pretty sure they came up with a new category for this kind of thing," Prompto huffed defiantly and stuffed popcorn into his mouth. "That video is _still_ among the most watched and recommended videos online, too. People are _thirsty_ to see you guys level up your relationship. Though, I don't know just what more you can do now. Next thing you do has to be something big, like, a wedding or a baby or something."

Noctis' brows twitched together in a frown as he considered Prompto's words, worrying his lips. The blond was right, they've been playing this game for more than five years now, pretending to go out so that the press would just leave them alone. Every other relationship would have either ended or advanced into a marriage by then, just like Luna's, who had convinced Nyx after three years that they should get married.

"Yeah, that. Not gonna happen," Noctis sighed, closing his eyes, suddenly feeling inexplicably tired.

"...I know," Prompto said softly, nudging his leg with his own. "I can't even imagine the pressure that's on you two... Especially Luna."

"Yeah, she's got it worse than me. She's... gonna be 29 this year and there have been a lot of voices that said she's soon going to be too old to conceive or something," Noctis sighed. "I know she wants to be a mother eventually, but... it's pretty hard with playing the pure oracle that everyone sees in her and having her own wishes and dreams. There... wouldn't be a problem for her to be pregnant. Other than her tight-packed schedule."

"And the fact that no one knows that she's married yet," Prompto pointed out.

Noctis nodded with a sigh and opened his eyes again. "I'm... glad that these aren't my problems yet," he mused, frowning at his own choice of words. "They're probably gonna be mine soon anyway."

Prompto snorted. "Yeah, man, I'm glad I don't have _your_ adult problems. My own are pretty hard without having to consider protocol and thousands of years of tradition and shit."

"Haha," Noctis laughed without humor, straightening up again when his back started hurting from the continued strain. He decided that he didn't want to talk about those kinds of depressing things anymore and changed the topic. "Hey, Luna also told me that you've been working with her on that makeup brand?"

"' _Nyx_ '? Oh yeah, I did! Love the name she's chosen," Prompto grinned, straightening himself as the topic turned to safer waters again. "Also, the colors are _great_ , and there's so many of them! I mean, usually, lipsticks come in various shades of red and pink, but now you've got black and blues and greens in matte and gloss and they're amazing! The blue ones look extremely good on Nyx, too, really brings out his eyes. He's gonna be a really good model for the campaign."

Noctis smiled and chuckled at Prompto's enthusiasm. "Yeah, Luna told me you made him model alongside with you. Didn't know you were interested in makeup," he noted with a flirtatious lilt in his voice. He blinked, a little surprised that he would use this kind of voice with his best friend. Then again, he also used that voice with Luna when they were on a date and they were best friends. But Luna knew he was just messing around with her, so why would he do this to Prompto?

Besides, he was interested in seeing this blond blush adorably at his gentle teasing. Luna was so used to his teasing that she didn't even react anymore, but Prompto kept reacting to each and every one of his carefully - or not so carefully - planned out jokes and jabs. That didn't mean he didn't come up with his own witty replies, but Noctis felt giddy every time one of his jokes made Prompto laugh until his eyes crinkled up with tears or blush so hard that his freckles almost disappeared in the sea of red. Or stood out more, really, sometimes they just did both.

"Oh, come on, I'm a painter!" Prompto gave back with a laugh. "I like colors, and putting those on people is an even bigger artform than putting them on canvas."

Noctis blinked and wanted to ask when Prompto's interest in makeup had started, but the lights went out right at that time and the curtain opened to give way to the trailers before the main feature. Given the nature of the movie they were going to see, all of the trailers were for other horror shockers and thrillers, one more gorey and bloody than the one before. He could feel Prompto next to him tensing with every other jump scare, hugging the bucket of popcorn closer to his chest when a new trailer started.

He seemed to relax when the movie started, but then again, it started relatively tame with a shot of where the main protagonists were now, after everything that had happened in the previous parts. Noctis found himself smiling as his favorite character - who had survived all the four movies before - was still alive and kicking. Quite literally, as he had started a self-defense school and was now being contacted by someone from the other side of the country where new daemons started to arise.

Quite the classic horror movie story, but Noctis found himself captivated as he kept popping Chocobo-nuts into his mouth. He didn't expect much depth of the story and as it seemed he wasn't going to be disappointed by this movie. What worried him however was Prompto next to him who kept reacting to each and every jump scare, having a hard time obviously to stop himself from screaming at some of the worse ones. At least he had put the popcorn away so that he wouldn't accidentally throw it around.

Noctis was worried that this would be too much for the artist. He reasoned however that Prompto had invited him to watch this movie together, so he must have seen the previous parts. What if he hadn't though? If he tried to look cool in front of Noctis who had mentioned more than a few times that he liked horror movies? What if he couldn't stomach horror movies at all and was completely traumatized by this late night screening?

Worried as he was, Noctis did the only thing that came to his mind to show his support. He extended his hand over the arm rest between them and found the blond's arm. He could feel him jerk at the touch, but he didn't pull his arm away at all, so Noctis took it as permission to go on. His fingers slid down the inside of the blond's arm and he could feel him shiver and heard him gasp as he moved further. When he reached his palm he pressed their hands together, entwined their fingers and then held onto Prompto's sweaty hand until the end of the movie.

~*~

They continued to hold hands when they left the movie. Noctis had to let go briefly as they had gotten up and went to the bathroom to relief their bladders, but once they left the bathroom into the night again, Prompto had reached for his hand again. Fingers entwined, they walked down the streets of nighttime Insomnia because there was no public transport running anymore and Noctis didn't feel like bothering Ignis or Gladio to take him home to the Citadel yet.

Besides, the temperatures had cooled down to a tolerable level and for some reason, it was really, really nice to stroll down the streets hand-in-hand with Prompto.

After a while of tearing apart the non-existent plot of the movie, Noctis finally asked what had been bothering him.

"Were you really that scared? You've been jumping and shrieking a lot, shaking with sweaty hands... If you didn't like horror movies, we could have watched something else," he chided softly, squeezing the other's hand reassuringly.

"Huh? What makes you think-" Prompto started, just to stop walking and stare at Noctis with wide surprised eyes before his gaze flickered down to their conjoined hands. "Oh."

"Yeah, I mean... these jump scares were bad, but you looked like you were frightened out of your mind," Noctis offered his observations, frowning a little. He followed Prompto's look down to their entwined fingers and suddenly there was a flicker of sadness in the blond's expression.

"No, I'm... I was fine, I just... I mean, I _really_ am weak towards jump scares, they get me every _fucking_ time, but otherwise I was okay. _Am_ okay," Prompto struggled to reply, stumbling over his words and sighed deeply eventually, letting go of the prince's hand to run it through his hair. "Sorry."

Noctis blinked, his hand suddenly feeling cold and empty, as if he was missing an integral part of himself. He stared at his sweaty palm and back at Prompto's face, hidden in the dark of the night and only illuminated by the starlight and street lights of Insomnia. Half of these lights were reflected off his glasses, still he was... _beautiful_.

"Don't be," Noctis sighed and reached for his hand again, even as Prompto had shoved into his pants' pockets. "It's okay if we do this, right?"

"H-huh?" Prompto gasped, looking up with wide eyes again before he turned down to look at their hands that were joined once again.

"I mean... this is nice, right?" Noctis said, feeling his own cheeks heat up with a blush of embarrassment. He lifted his free hand to rub the back of his neck, glancing over to the side to keep an eye on Prompto's reactions.

The blond kept staring at their hands and then sighed as he started walking again, bumping their shoulders together. "I'm kind of glad it's already past midnight, otherwise I'd be afraid that I'd have to go and all of this would turn back into a pumpkin or something."

Noctis snorted softly as he bumped right back. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but you're definitely not in a fairy tale at all."

Prompto chuckled and shook his head softly. "I know... If this were a fairy tale... Or a video game, a lot of things would be different, I guess." He smiled, but somehow the humor didn't fully reach his eyes and it bothered Noctis that he had no idea what was really going on behind that sad smile.

"Well... it's a good thing that this reality, right?" He just said and Prompto laughed at him.

But still the humor still wasn't really reaching his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PS: You're still welcome to criticise! I've already written the next chapter as well, but only so I can work on other stories I want to write as well!
> 
> Thank you again for reading!


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, everyone around Noctis is trying to make life as hard as possible for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Geez, I've been so caught up with [bund](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14978570), my entry for the Promptis SFW Week, last week that I've kind lost track of what I wanted to put here. 
> 
> But YEP, we're getting closer! Please be aware that the mature rating still applies very much to this chapter!
> 
>  **Art:**  
>  Links I already shared last chapter:  
> [here's a scene](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/175009153336/quick-chapter-28-doodle-still-learning-to-use-the) Banira/Layann drew from last chapter.
> 
> [Karmahitme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karmahitme/pseuds/Karmahitme) drew [a scene from the first chapter](https://art-bit-me.tumblr.com/post/175023273367/a-little-doodle-for-the-first-chapter-of-the)
> 
>  **New art:**  
>  Banira/Layann drew [Noctis and Prompto sharing a bed from one of the previous chapter](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/175240500011/%D0%B7-%CF%83-outsomnia-chapter-29-is-out-a-few-weeks)
> 
> [Karmahitme](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karmahitme/pseuds/Karmahitme) drew [a scene from last chapter](https://art-bit-me.tumblr.com/post/175122935332/no-im-i-was-fine-i-just-i-mean-i-really-am).

Lestallum Rock took place at the last weekend of October. They conveniently used the holiday marking the beginning of harvest time as their starting day and it would last for four days.

One of the main acts was Moon Sea and since both Noct and Prompto were big fans of them, they downright begged Ignis to stay for the whole weekend so that they could see them on Saturday even though their own gig would only be on Thursday. The not so well known bands performed at the beginning and at not so favorable times. At least Monsters of the Deep had been placed at prime time in the evening instead of when no one would be there at all. 

They arrived on Wednesday and checked into the Leville and talked to an old friend of Noctis' father, Jared, and his 12-year-old grandson, Talcott. Talcott was a sweet boy and loved the Cactuar merchandise that Ignis had made them buy for the boy as a present. If Noctis had known just how much Talcott liked these things, he would have bought him each and everyone he could have gotten his hands on.

Aside from Cactuars, Talcott had immediately taken a liking to Prompto. The two of them joked around and Prompto promised the boy to show him how to use a camera later, when they didn't have to go through a soundcheck. In his excitement, the boy's voice kept changing from the childish tone to that of an adult and sometimes Noctis had to stop himself from grinning in schadenfreude.

They threw their bags into their rooms and then hurried back to go to the venue where Cidney was already waiting for them with the piece of stage decoration that she and Prompto had come up with. Since this was Cidney's home venue, they thought that trying out something new would be best there, even if it couldn't be anything too big because they had to change the decorations between bands quickly.

Still, what she showed them was completely stunning. Seeing large paintings move around on cables as if they weighed nothing, Noctis just stood there, awestruck. He glanced over to Prompto, who grinned madly at the paintings that were made up mostly out of the lyrics of their songs, looking wild with a multitude of colors, aggressive with the quick movement of the brush. It took him a full fifteen minutes to realize that these pictures were the canvases that Prompto had painted during their last concerts. And he had been wondering when Prompto had had the time to draw so many new things.

"This is beyond words amazing," he whispered in awe where he stood in the middle of the stage. 

"I'm glad you like it, princess," Cidney smiled and winked at him and even Noctis couldn't help but blush. "It's your band after all."

"Yeah," Noctis replied, watching her walk over to Nyx, her hips swaying with every step. He frowned at that, turned to look around just to realize that Prompto had disappeared somewhere to.

"Okay, let's practice _[Blue]_ and _#4_ to make sure the settings are right," Nyx announced, slipping his guitar strap over his head. "Ignis, make sure everything sounds the way it should," he ordered, and received a thumbs up from the middle of the field in front of the stage from the bespectacled man. He stood behind the sound technician whom he would also tell when to start the tracks with the background music, like the strings for _[Blue]_ for example. 

Once Crowe and Libertus were in position, Noctis nodded and waited for the track to start, counting in his head until he had to start singing. He winced when his voice came out wrong and broke a little at the high notes, so, he took a step back before he tried again. This time he got the notes right and continued on with the song until he could take a breath. He frowned at himself for messing up the song, but he decided not to dwell on it for too long.

No, he continued on until the big crescendo, when Nyx stopped the song and said that this was enough and that Noct had to spare his voice for the next day anyway. They needed to test out _#4_ anyway, see if it worked with fast and loud notes for them as well.

As Noctis was still worrying about his voice and went through some exercises to prevent another slip-up like he had just done before, Prompto returned to the stage, grinning madly. It took Noctis a moment to realize what was off, but when he did, it hit him like a truck and he couldn't tear his gaze away for a moment.

Prompto was wearing a dark, purple lipstick of a spectacular shade that brought out the violet in his blue eyes even more than usual. It was matte and part of the line that Luna had been working on, named after her husband. When Noctis had asked Nyx about it, he had said that she had named it after him, because he had kept complaining that she _never_ did anything for him. It looked like Prompto was experimenting with his looks, just like he did with his stage clothes or the paint he kept splashing everywhere.

"Hey Nyx," Prompto called out from his left and Noctis looked up from where he had started stretching his legs to warm up his whole body. "Found the lipstick your wife's left with you," the painter grinned and flaunted the color proudly, as if it had always been meant just for him.

Noctis found himself taking a double take and he almost lost his balance as he stared at the bright, yet dark framed smile.

"It's not your color," Nyx huffed, reaching out to lift he younger man's chin so that he could take a closer look. Noctis thought that, yes, it was _exactly_ Prompto's color, _because it brought out the color of his eyes_ so nicely, but all of his thought process came to a screeching halt with his guitarist's next words. "You smudged the corners. These things gotta sit for a while before you go suck a cock or talk."

Noctis' eyes widened along with Prompto's and the painter slapped the older man's hands away with a look of exaggerated disgust and a grin as the blush bloomed all over his face. "Gods! TMI!"

But the damage was already done and Noctis would need _weeks_ to get the image of Prompto's dark violet lips stretched around his cock out of his head. If he could ever get rid of that image at all.

_What._

Noctis stared unseeingly at the ground, blood rushing in his ears. He could feel himself shaking and he did his best to stay upright as he battled the image in his head. It wasn't even moving, although it should, by all means, vivid as it was, yet it shook Noctis to his very core that he was imagining his friend like that. That he was _objectifying_ him just because he had slapped some color on his face and because Nyx had said such a thing to him.

_Why?_

As Prompto kept laughing with Cidney about how great the colors were, Noctis tried to wrestle down his mental breakdown. Why would he think about these things _now_? He, who had decided that sex wasn't for him after trying it out for the first time at the insistence of basically everyone?

And why about _Prompto_?

Was he projecting because he secretly wanted more than friendship? Was he mixing up things because he had never really had a friend like Prompto before? There had only been Luna and they had been bantering along the same lines recently, made the same kinds of insinuations, so maybe his subconscious was projecting his secret and hidden desires upon his best friend with these kinds of sudden triggers. Even if those triggers were as simple as a dark lipstick.

Noctis closed his eyes and took deep breaths, counting slowly to ten and then he exhaled again until he was sure that his heart rate was out of the danger zone of him getting a cardiac arrest or something.

Maybe he should have Ignis schedule a doctor's appointment for him. After these funny things his intestines kept doing ever since the beginning of summer, his heart was starting to act up even more than before. With how dizzy he felt right then, there was probably something wrong with his cardiovascular and respiratory system after all.

Or maybe everything had a whole different reason after all. Not that Noctis liked to think about the implications of that idea either.

He was grateful that Nyx had chosen _#4_ as their second song to sing because it meant that he could simply yell out his frustrations and get his mind off those things, too.

However, it didn't quite work out the way he wanted to.

He yelled and sang and sweated, but he couldn't get the image of Prompto's dark purple lips wrapped around his dick with flushed, hollowed cheeks out of his head. Maybe because the only nice thing about his experience with sex so far had been the blow-job he had received.

When the song ended, Noctis sighed and fled the scene before Nyx could yell at him for doing such a spectacularly bad job. He knew the notes were off, it always happened when he lost the grip on his emotions. Over the past two years, he had managed to get better at that, but today he had been spectacularly bad about everything.

He found a spot next to the weights that held Prompto's paintings up and allowed himself to mope in silence. He fumbled for his phone and headphones, but before he could choose a song, he could hear someone approach.

"Yo, princess," Cidney smiled her perfect smile down at him and all Noctis could think about was how much cuter Prompto's smile was in comparison.

"...yo," he gave back with a lot less enthusiasm. It was only then that he saw the ropes in her arms, which she deposited upon the pile of others next to Noctis.

He thought that was it and went back to listening to his music, but Cidney didn't disappear. Instead, she eyed him curiously, arms crossed under her chest as she seemed to judge him. Noctis did his best not to squirm, he had been through worse, damnit. If he was able to negotiate successfully with governour Camelia Claustra, he could withstand the piercing look of a stage engineer.

"That stunt Prom-pom just pulled did quite the number on you, huh?" she asked after what seemed like an unbearable moment of silence between them.

Noctis blinked and then frowned up at her. _Prom-pom_? That was the first time he had heard that particular nickname and he didn't like the sound of that at all. Most definitely not coming from Cidney.

"...not particularly," he lied, turning his head to the side, feeling the blush creep up his cheeks and neck right to the tips of his ears.

"You know, I'm really happy that Prom-pom has finally found someone he likes. Life's no fun alone," she smiled, shifting her weight a little from one leg to the other as she looked off wistfully into the direction of the stage where Crowe and Nyx were still tuning their guitars. "If you don't mind me askin', when did y'all start dating?"

Noctis stared at the woman in complete and utter shock, not believing that she had just said the words he had heard her say.

 _Dating_? He and Prompto? 

"I... we... We're not?" he gave back eloquently, wincing as his voice ended up squeaking. He cleared his throat and frowned. Only when he felt fine again, he looked up carefully to look at Cidney's surprised face.

"...What," he demanded, because he didn't know why she had to look so shocked about this.

"I'm... Wow. Y'all sure don't look like you're _not_ dating. I've never seen Prom-pom this all over anyone else," Cidney gave back, visibly trying to reign in her surprise. "I mean, _we_ were close and we coulda been considered best friends, but... we never acted like you two did. I've never seen anyone act like you two did around each other and not be dating. Pardon me for assuming things that weren't happening."

Noctis stared at her for a moment, then turned his gaze back down at his phone that had one of MRCRY's artworks as its lockscreen and gave way to a stupid selfie he and Prompto had taken on the blond's birthday earlier that week. He ran a thumb over the side of the device and mulled over a few things.

Maybe he was only reacting so strongly to Prompto wearing lipstick _because_ they had been so close recently. Maybe his subconscious mixed up friendship with more where Noctis wasn't really looking for anything beyond friendship.

He sighed deeply and looked up at Cidney, smiling apologetically. "It's fine... Not your fault for misreading the signs. Guess we should have been more upfront about it."

Shrugging, Cidney chuckled. "Well, I did think it was all a ploy to get you guys a bigger fanbase. My friend Holly-"

"The one who's organizing Lestallum Rock?" Noctis asked and Cidney nodded happily.

"Yeah, she said she's found tons of stories of you guys online. Ships y'all more than you and Nyx because you guys are just such a 'natural and cute couple' or whatever. She says that people only ship you and Nyx 'cause you're rivals, and that's not her cup 'a tea," Cidney explained with a chuckle.

"Rivals, huh?" Noctis echoed and chuckled. Well, considering his supposed relationship with Luna, he and Nyx would be rivals, and they did clash a lot when it came to their band. He remembered the stories he had found on his birthday two months ago and how he had eventually been able to make heads and tails out of those stories that paired him with Nyx. Yet he still hadn't been able to look further into the stories about Noct and MRCRY, too distracted by the hashtag _#dirtyconfessions_.

"I don't know much about these things, but I'm not into all this muscle flexing and showing off and having to be better than others," Cidney explained and Noctis made a mental note that this was probably the main point why she had entirely ignored Gladio's advances back in summer. "Some people seem to be into it though. I do like someone who's honest with their feelings and can admit they're wrong, too."

"...Crowe's pretty good at that, huh?" Noctis pushed on carefully, smiling when he saw a blush adorning the woman's cheeks.

"You betcha," Cidney replied and giggled, Noctis catching himself how he thought that she looked cute like that. "I don't know _how_ she does it, but she's... so good at finding all my weak points and just... gets me. Being around her makes me smile. I mean, we don't see each other that often, but we text and call each other every day, so it doesn't feel all that... long-distance-y. And we manage to see each other at least once a month and then we go out and it's the best time I've ever had in my whole life..."

She closed her mouth and worried her lip, looking apologetically down at Noctis, who just smiled fondly back at her.

"I'm happy she has found someone she wants to make happy," he said and then blinked as he realized that she had said almost the same thing about Prompto to him earlier, too.

Cidney must have noticed, too, because she looked at him bewildered for a second before she snorted a laugh.

"Yeah, me too," she grinned and winked at him. "I'm sure you'll find someone that makes your lil' heart all fluttery soon."

"Thanks," Noctis smiled and for a second, both of them didn't seem to know what they were supposed to do.

"Well! I better skedaddle! Lots of things to do," Cidney was the first to break the silence between them. "See you later, your Highness! Looking forward to your performance," she said and winked again before she disappeared in a sway of hips and bouncing curls. Noctis found himself left alone with his thoughts again, but he felt a lot calmer than he had been before. It was only then that he realized she had addressed him with his official title and his head whipped up to stare at her wide-eyed.

Well, there was nothing he could do then but to trust Prompto's friend and Crowe's lover that she wouldn't spill the beans about his real identity to anyone. His only consolation was that she probably didn't have time to talk to the press or anything. 

Running his thumb over the side of his phone again, he unlocked it to stare at the stupid grins of him and Prompto, wondering what was so bad about wanting to be more than friends.

~*~

Uncharacteristically for him, Noctis stayed in his own bed all night and lay awake, staring at the ceiling in the room he shared with Prompto at the Leville. In the other bed, Prompto lay with his back to him, his breath coming deep and regular where he had been fast asleep for several hours now.

He tried to figure out where they had tumbled off the path of 'just friends' and gotten onto the muddy path of ambiguous relationship where others thought they were dating? Noctis wasn't too concerned about the fanfictions, if they could write him and Nyx together, they could write everyone together. But people in real life were thinking they were dating, too, and that was something that Noctis couldn't quite wrap his head around.

For what felt like the hundredth time he went through a mental checklist of things he had done with Luna and public to make people think they were dating, and things he had done with Prompto because he felt like it.

He came to the frightening conclusion that except for kisses, he had done everything that had been scripted for him and Luna with Prompto as well, but without being prompted to. Looking at the clock on his phone, he saw that it was 5am already. Three more hours until they had to get up, get breakfast and get ready. He felt dizzy, his body on the brink of falling asleep, yet every time he closed his eyes to try and fall asleep, his mind would backtrack to something he and Prompto had done that could be considered as a couple's thing.

That visit to the amusement park because Prompto had said he hadn't been able to afford it yet? Getting matching headbands? Totally a couple's thing.

Holding hands while walking home in the middle of the night after watching a late night screening of a movie? On more than one occasion?

Really, at this point Noctis wasn't even sure anymore himself whether or not they were dating.

He turned his head to look over at the back of the blond, feeling something in his chest taking a small leap and then he looked back up at the ceiling.

Noctis recalled all the times that he had told Prompto what good friends they were, how glad he was that he had become his friend. He really loved and cherished Prompto as his friend and if he was honest, he couldn't imagine living his life without Prompto anymore. But then again, he couldn't imagine living his life without Ignis, Gladio, Luna or Nyx, Libertus and Crowe either. Still, it didn't feel exactly the same and Noctis still wondered why. But it was 5:30 in the morning and thinking was hard and he knew that he should be sleeping, especially before such an important concert as the one later that day, but somehow, sleep still eluded him.

So, he continued to stare at the ceiling until Prompto next to him stirred and then he pretended to be asleep as the blond got up for his morning run an hour and a half later, returned after an hour to take a shower and then scribbled in his sketchbook until the alarm rang for Noctis to get up.

Since the prince was already awake, he kept listening for what Prompto would do, as he was usually the one to wake him up. When Noctis was able to sleep, he would usually come back to the world with gentle shaking and Prompto's soft voice. It had escalated to the point where Noctis would wake up when he heard Prompto saying his name in a certain tone, which left him both in awe and scandalized, that he could be conditioned like an animal so easily.

What he hadn't counted on, however, was the fact that Prompto would sit next to him for a solid few minutes to watch him sleep. Sometimes he would hear the sound of a pen on paper, just to feel fingers threading into his hair, playing with a strand here or there.

"Noct, wake up," Prompto would say softly into his ear then and Noctis suddenly knew why he was always awake almost instantly at the sound of this voice. It sent a shudder through his whole body to the point where he gasped loudly and turned onto his back to open his eyes slowly. He squinted up at the blond who just grinned down at him. Apparently, his subconscious had started to associate the sound with waking up pleasantly and... _other_ things. When the hell did Prompto's voice become so sensual?

"Good morning, sleeping beauty. Ready to rock the world?" Prompto asked with a grin and nudged his arm before he got up and stretched. "I mean, it's still a few hours, but it can't hurt to check out the other bands, right?"

"Uh... yeah..." Noctis yawned and stretched, barely managing to get his eyes open after all. "Need a shower first..."

"Sure!" Prompto clipped and got up with his sketchbook and pencils. "Want me to wait for you? I'll be downstairs drawing otherwise."

"Whatever suits you," Noctis shrugged as he got a towel and fresh clothes without caring what exactly he grabbed there. "Tell me if it's been over an hour though, okay?"

"Sure! Have fun showering," Prompto smiled and flopped down in one of the arm chairs.

Noctis shot one last lingering look back into his direction before he entered the bathroom. There, he closed his eyes for a moment to stop the world from spinning too fast, but it didn't help. Thus, he opened his eyes again and started to undress slowly. When he saw the other wet towel hanging on the rack to dry, all the details of his dilemma from the previous day came back at him. However, now his mind expanded the picture to a very naked Prompto standing in the showers, the water running over his body in little rivulets, caressing it in ways that Noctis couldn't even bring himself to imagine.

His body, on the other hand, ran away happily with the scenario and reacted in all the ways he thought he had been over after growing out of his teenage years. Of course, there had been occasions before when he'd grown morning wood and had to get rid of it, but ever since he had lost his virginity at 22, he had never really been enthusiastic about masturbating or things like that. At this point, it was a necessity rather than something fun, but if it had to be done, even Noctis would do it.

He sighed and took care of business in the shower before he cleaned his body, feeling both hyperactive and sluggish at the same time. His mind was stumbling over thought after thought, hitting Noctis' inner eye with pictures that he couldn't even enjoy because his brain was unable to catch up with them.

When he stepped out of the shower, he felt dizzy and in need of... a beer. He groaned, wincing because he could already feel the headache coming up, and added painkillers to the list of things he needed.

"Yo," Prompto greeted him and Noctis was glad that he was still flushed from the shower. Just looking at the blond's face was making him remember the unspeakable things he had done to the memory of his smile and freckles. "Feel refreshed?"

Noctis blinked and averted his eyes, sighing softly.

"Still tired, huh?" Prompto narrated sympathetically before the prince had a chance to say something. "Let's get some caffeine and sugar in your system and then let's get going. I can't wait to be on stage!"

Hooking their arms together, Prompto pulled him out of the safety of the hotel room and into the outside world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed them last week. ;A; 
> 
> Now I'm a little behind and gotta write fast for next week!


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis wakes up with one hell of a headache. How did the gig of Monsters of the Deep go?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there's been some art last week, but I gotta check this out later... so you better check back again later, too, as I will have updated this comment. :D
> 
> For now, all I can say is: We are getting there. Slowly, but steadily. ;9

The coffee didn't manage to help Noctis feel any more awake. Quite the opposite, now he felt sluggish _and_ as if he was going to have a cardiac arrest any moment and for once, it wasn't because of Prompto's smile. As a result, he was more cranky and quiet than usual, which everyone else seemed to chalk up to the fact that he was nervous before going on stage in front of the biggest audience they had had so far. Thus, they let him be and left him mostly alone. Even Prompto, who usually stayed by his side and scribbled into his notebook, was busy with preparations, talking to Cidney, giving her a hand every now and then during the performances of the other bands.

He toyed with his phone as he listened to some music on it, not even hearing the words or the melody. His head was a mess, the headache was almost killing him despite the painkillers Ignis had allowed him, and he was sure that his blood pressure was over the top, too. The images of Prompto in the shower still filled his mind every now and then, and he still hadn't had that beer.

So, he decided that now was the best time to go and find himself a can of beer. He didn't resort to it often, but sometimes alcohol was the only thing that never failed to calm him down, slowed his heartbeat and proved to make him sleepy during the rare occasions that sleep eluded him. And, as tense as he was, he needed something to help him loosen up or he would cramp up on stage and faint or something. Thus, he found one of the booths that sold drinks and snacks and asked for a glass.

Everything after that was a blur. Noctis remembered being on stage, singing his heart out, he remembered Prompto painting left and right from him, he remembered Nyx singing together with him, but he had no idea whatsoever how their gig ended.

He must have passed out though, because the next thing Noctis knew, he woke up in his bed at the Leville, mouth dry and feeling like cotton. His head hurt and the rest of his body also felt like a Garula had sat on it so that he wouldn't want to move, if not for the fact that his back screamed at him in pain. Blinking heavy, encrusted eyes open, he looked around in the dimly lit room, just to have his gaze land on Prompto sitting next to him in an armchair, the sound of pencil moving over paper being what had eventually woken Noctis up. Only after a few heartbeats Noctis noticed that Prompto was also humming a song.

It sounded faintly familiar, but Noctis was nowhere near awake enough to make out the words Prompto sung every now and then. He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes again, hoping to pretend to be asleep a little longer.

The soft singing stopped just when Noctis realized that Prompto had been singing _Kick Out_. He heard him shifting and did his best to keep his breathing even and deep, because for some reason, Noctis wanted to know what the other would do. Would he touch his face again? Run his hand through his hair?

Noctis' heart started beating faster in anticipation, because he was really looking forward to the other's by now familiar touch. There was a moment of heavy silence and Noctis almost peeked an eye open, if not for the fact that he felt two fingers on either side of his nose, pinching it shut.

His eyes snapped open and tried to glare up at Prompto, who just grinned down while Noctis batted his hand away. 

"The fuck, man? Can't you just... wake me up like a normal person?!" Noctis growled and sat up, just to sink back down into the cushions when his head started to pound as if a herd of garulas ran over him. "Ugh!"

"How's your head," Prompto asked as he sat back, just to hand him a bottle of water.

"...been better," Noctis grunted as he drank the liquid greedily. "What... what happened?"

Prompto fiddled with his fingers and if there hadn't been these little stars dancing in front of Noctis' eyes, he was sure that he had seen a blush under the blond's adorable freckles.

"...How much do you remember?" he asked meekly instead of answering Noctis' question.

"...Half of everything?" the prince replied, now even more confused than before. If Prompto asked him like that, what the _hell_ had happened? "I remember going on stage, singing... my heart out on top of my lungs but... I don't remember much from the end. Is... is everything okay?"

Prompto worried his lips before he sighed in obvious defeat. "Do you remember how much you had to drink?" he asked then, making Noctis worry even more.

"I only remember going for... one beer. Then... being on stage," he said hesitantly, wincing as his headache made everything blurry again. "That's... all."

Prompto looked at him long and hard, and then sighed again. "Well, I guess you passed out from exhaustion or whatever, but only after we finished our last song. But not... without declaring your love for me, then Nyx, but only to add that your love for him was all platonic. Then you kissed his cheek, which, I guess, is nice for him, considering that you kissed _me_ on the lips before that. And smeared all of my lipstick," he explained with a crooked smile and an expression that Noctis was unable to decipher in his lingering state of intoxication.

Noctis' eyes widened and he felt his headache grow, making him groan and rub his temples. "Sorry," he said abashed, honestly regretting his actions. "I guess that was pretty... unpleasant."

"Um..." Prompto replied, worrying his lip. "Well. I was... surprised? But I guess it doesn't matter now. Since, like, you didn't mean it or anything. I mean, not more than usual when you're drunk." He chuckled, which made Noctis feel like whatever he did hadn't been all that bad. On the other hand, he had this foul taste in his mouth, that could be from not drinking enough, but also because he did something that might have hurt the other.

Making a face, Noctis sank back down into the cushions. "Really... I'm sorry. I don't know why you keep hanging out with a loser like me," he sighed and stared up at the ceiling. The very same ceiling that he had stared at last night while replaying uncountable things that had happened between the two of them. Among those many times when Noctis had slung his arms over Prompto's shoulder and told him he loved him in one of the many pub visits.

And sure, he _did_ love the artist, always had, but not in the way that Cidney did assume just yesterday.

"...What time is it?" he asked finally, because he was really curious how long he had slept now.

"...Today is Saturday," Prompto replied gravely. He hesitated a bit before he added, "afternoon."

Noctis eyes widened incredulously and his mouth dropped open in surprise. "I slept through a _whole day_?!"

"Ignis said it's nothing out of the ordinary," Prompto gave back sheepishly, fiddling with his fingers. "I was... a little scared yesterday when you wouldn't wake up although it was noon, but he said you did that a lot when you were younger when you really exhausted yourself. So, uh, I kinda volunteered to keep an eye on you. Got lots of things done, too," he said with an abashed chuckle.

Noctis just looked at him in surprise and bewilderment. "Didn't this band you wanted to see perform on Friday? You know, these girls you and Cidney helped during college...."

Prompto shrugged, his eyes shifting to the side. "Yeah, but... I couldn't have enjoyed it anyway."

This did nothing to help Noctis with his bewilderment. Quite the contrary, now he felt adequately guilty for making Prompto sit here in this room when he could have gone out to have some fun.

"...Sorry... I didn't mean to... I made you worry. Sorry about that," Noctis mumbled, closing his eyes again. His head was killing him and now he also felt bad for holding back his friend while he had been out cold.

"Hey, you probably needed that sleep. What happened?" Prompto asked, leaning back in the seat that gave a squeak. "Princely things?"

"...Yeah," Noctis lied, because it was easier than to admit that he had lost sleep over the epiphany that he was treating the blond almost in the same way as his official girlfriend. In fact, he wasn't even lying when he said it was about princely things because if he acted the same way around Prompto that he did around Luna and if other people thought that he and Prompto were dating... Then this was a matter of public interest and he needed Ignis to dispel these ideas. Which would mean that either he and Prompto met even more in private or simply not at all.

Noctis didn't like either of these options, so he sighed.

"Do you feel fit enough to go out with me later? I thought we could check out some bands and see if we run into someone backstage. Also, Cidney recommended this kebap booth and I thought, since it's meat, you'd love to try it. She said they're also a little spicy, so you better be careful," Prompto changed the topic and Noctis was disproportionally relieved over that fact. He really didn't want to think about the consequences of potentially dating Prompto in secret.

_Wait._

_What?_

Noctis bolted upright again, staring down at his lap where he gripped the sheets of the bed tightly.

_Potentially dating Prompto?_

What was he _thinking_? They were just _friends_ , he wasn't even interested in dating! Dating was a simple necessity, just like he would see his marriage in the future at worst. Noctis liked going out with his friends, he liked doing things with Luna and Prompto, but he wasn't interested to do more than have dinner, watch movies and play games. He wasn't interested to do the kissing and _sex_ part, even if holding hands with Prompto that one night after his birthday had been nice. Still, before the day that he had seen Prompto with that dark purple lipstick, he had never even thought about _anything_ like this, so why was it happening now? At this rate, it would destroy everything between them.

Noctis cherished their friendship beyond everything in his life. He didn't want to endanger it if he couldn't prevent it.

Besides, even if he did something as stupid as to confess to Prompto, who could tell if his feelings were returned? Knowing his luck with those kinds of things, he was sure that he was the only one who was confused over this and would open a can of worms if he ever voiced his thoughts. In the worst of all cases, Prompto would start hating him and would never speak to him again. That was an outcome that he wanted to avoid at all costs.

Maybe he should talk to someone about this.

~*~

Disregarding his fears and doubt, Noctis tried his best to keep acting just the same way as before around Prompto. After some painkillers and lots of water they returned to the festival, but this time as guests. They laughed and joked, shared their kebaps and then kept rocking to the music that was played at any which moment.

Noctis kept watching Prompto closely, tried to look out for little signs of... Well, he didn't know what he was looking for, but he was looking at Prompto as if he knew the answers. Unfortunately, the blond didn't grace him with answers to his unspoken questions, but at least they had fun.

Cidney waved to them as she spotted them among the crowd - Noctis was sure that Gladio was somewhere nearby to keep an eye on him, if he wasn't hitting on someone - and this time, it was Prompto who took his hand and pulled him along.

"Y'all wanna take a look at backstage? Prommy, I'm sure you'll like what we're gonna do for Moon Sea," the blonde winked, and Prompto bounced on the balls of his feet next to Noctis, looking absolutely adorable.

_But when did he not look adorable?_ Noctis' mind supplied, turning his smile upside down and he frowned in surprise at his own thoughts.

Meanwhile, Prompto whispered excitedly, "Are they here?"

Cidney's usually so composed face contorted with a sly grin and she said, "What if they are?"

"Oh my god, can we see them? _Please?_ " He begged and Noctis couldn't help but chuckle. He was sure that if Lucis court invited Moon Sea to perform at the court, its band members would be just as excited.

However, that didn't mean that Noctis didn't share Prompto's excitement.

"Come on, you wanna see them as well, don't you? Right, Noct?" Prompto asked and nudged him with his elbow.

"Yeah... I can't wait, to be honest," Noctis replied, his tone not quite as excited as Prompto's, but it was the same voice he used when he successfully caught a very large fish, that had been struggling all the way.

"Guess I can stop y'all then," Cidney laughed and stepped aside to make way for them. Noctis followed Prompto, who kept asking Cidney excited questions.

A new rush of jealousy went through Noctis' veins until he took a deep breath. There was no reason for him to be jealous. They were just friends and even though friends could get jealous as well, it wasn't anything that Noctis considered something that he should be doing. Cidney was nice, she lived in Lestallum most of the time and would _not_ take Prompto away from him. Plus, she was really nice and was really supported Prompto in whatever he did. She was a good friend.

"Is that it?" Prompto asked as he spotted a large canvas that was hidden behind a few others. He pushed those aside gently, much like posters in a music store. At one point he disappeared between the canvases to take a closer look and Noctis just stayed back, amused. It wasn't until he felt a presence next to him that he turned around to see a new arrival.

"You're that kid from... What was that, Monsters of the Deep?" A familiar voice asked next to Noctis and he almost jumped to the side as he realized _who_ it was.

"Mr. K?! Holy shit!" Noctis gasped and almost fell to his knees because he was facing one of his musical gods.

"Wait, what is happening?" Prompto's muffled voice came from between the canvases. Noctis was sure that he tried to get out as fast as possible, but he was too busy gaping at the legend in front of him.

"I really liked that one song of yours, what was its name... The one with the _mad_ guitar riff," Moon Sea's K said, playing the riff from _Ignite_ on his air guitar. 

"Oh my god, it's one of our first! That's... that's _Ignite_!" Noctis gasped, unsure what to do with his hands. Or his body.

Godsdammit, he had been through way more difficult negotiations without breaking a sweat before!

"Yeah... I liked that! It's a good one... and you say it's one of your first? Impressive," K said with a smirk. "You're...?"

"Nocti-" Noctis started, just so stopping himself before he said his full name. "Noct Gar, um, nice to meet you, _sir_!"

The older man chuckled as he took the prince's outstretched hand. "No need to be so formal. Just K is okay."

Noctis just nodded dumbfounded as Prompto finally emerged from between canvases, just to gasp when he saw the scene before him. "Holy...! Mr. K! I'm not worthy!"

Noctis stepped aside so that K could shake Prompto's hand next, and Noctis could see how much the blond was shaking with barely contained nervousness and excitement.

"You're... that painter, right? Mercury or something, or so Cidney here told me," K smiled as he shook the blond's hand. "I really like your style. So expressive."

"Thank you! I've just been admiring your backdrop, who did that?" Prompto asked and Noctis couldn't help but admire how easily the artist could talk about his craft where he had been reduced to a stuttering mess.

K told him the name of the artist and apparently Prompto knew them, unlike Noctis who knew nothing to make of the name. Well, on the other hand, he didn't really know what the backdrop looked like, maybe that would help.

After the first rush of his excitement ebbed off, Noctis found himself able to talk normally to K again. The man proved to be even more enthusiastic for music than the interviews had made him out as. Noctis was amazed by the man's passion that emanated through every word and he couldn't help but return the enthusiasm. After talking to him for about an hour, Prompto had a new commission for a future cover of one of Moon Sea singles and Noctis had invited K to join one of their practices back in Insomnia with the prospect of a future collaboration. Sure, he would have to find Nyx first and tell him the good news before they could arrange anything, but the prospect of being able to jam with one of his idols had him reeling for the rest of the festival.

The following 36 hours went by in a blur, he just remembered being in the audience when Moon Sea played, squished to Prompto's side as they were both singing on top of their lungs, having the time of their lives. 

He was so glad that both Ignis and Gladio decided to give him space instead of hovering over him all the time.

~*~

Back in Insomnia, Noctis was busy preparing for the end of year charity events that he usually attended. He liked visiting the kids in the hospitals, because it was nice to see that there was still hope and trust in the system. He liked to play with them as well, liked to listen to them, and if his presence caused any of them to have even more hope, then his conscience felt a little lighter than before.

Most of his visits in Tenebrae were accompanied by Luna, both to show him around and to cement their public status as a couple. It usually gave them time to talk as they were chauffeured from one place to the next in snow-covered Tenebrae, and this time, it was Noctis who looked forward to this.

"Luna," he started hesitantly, not sure how he was supposed to open up about his concerns. "How... did you know you were in love with Nyx?"

Blinking, the woman looked at him with wide eyes first, before her lips curled up into a smile, her whole expression softening. "I think... I knew that pretty quickly. I mean, he's... headstrong, admirable, but very loyal. He likes to pretend that he doesn't care, but deep down, he does. He thinks about so many things at once, and he _cares_. He cares so much I had to convince him with... desperate measures that it's okay to date me."

She chuckled and Noctis smiled at her. "I know how that happened," he replied fondly. "I was there, remember?"

He really admired Luna's and Nyx' relationship. They were both passionate, but had enough discipline to hide their real feelings from the world for... publicity's sake. If there was anything that they valued more than each other, it was definitely their privacy. But once they were in private, they were open and gentle and although Noctis was prone to fighting with Nyx over their music and other things, he had never really seen the couple fight.

To him, they were the ideal relationship, since he didn't have anyone else to compare to.

His mother had died early on and his memories of his parents' relationship was mostly fueled by old photographs and stories his father sometimes told him. Gladio's mother had also died soon after Iris was born and the Amicitia kids were mostly raised by a nanny. And Ignis rarely talked about his parents either, although Noctis knew that they were still alive and working for the court.

Luna and Nyx were the only couple he knew that had been together for the longest time and successfully so. So, how was he supposed to know how couples acted around each other when these two were acting almost the same way as some of his friends? How was he supposed to distinguish between actions between lovers and friends?

"But... I knew that I was in love when... I was looking forward to seeing him every day. Sometimes I would lose sleep over the excitement of being able to spend time with him and when we finally met I felt... like there were butterflies in my stomach. Sometimes it was so bad that I couldn't eat," Luna added with another fond chuckle, pulling Noctis out of his thoughts.

"Is that so," he said slowly, frowning as he thought back to the night before their gig at Lestallum Rock, when he couldn't sleep, the days before when he had been so excited as well. He had chalked it up to being because it was a big step for Monsters of the Deep, but essentially, it was also because he would be doing something together with Prompto, something that the both of them loved a lot.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he only noticed the cat-like grin on Luna's face when it was much too late. "My, prince Noctis, have you found someone you fancy? After all these years of having renounced love and dating as a whole concept for yourself?"

Noctis felt his face heat up and he looked stubbornly out of the car's window, his arm propped up so that he had covered his mouth. He knew that Luna got to him easily, that she could see through him easily, but he didn't really want to give her the satisfaction of seeing him blush like this.

He should have known that it wouldn't work.

"Oh Six, _really_?" Luna breathed and put a hand on his knee. "I'm so happy for you!"

"It's... I don't think it's anything, really," Noctis murmured into his hand. "But recently... I've felt like I'm coming down with... with _something_ and... like, all the symptoms are the same that you've just been describing. Ignis refused right from the start to make an appointment with the doctor and Gladio just laughed at me."

Luna didn't manage to contain her chuckles and Noctis barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes at her through the reflection of the window.

"Now you're laughing at me, too," he pouted, a rare expression that he only allowed himself around Luna and Ignis. And well, his father on the rare occasions they had some quality father-son time.

"I'm sorry, Noctis, but you're being as adorable as a chocobo-chick right now and seeing you pout like that is even more adorable," Luna admitted between her chuckles. Her shoulders still shook with laughter as Noctis glared harder at her.

"A little advice would be appreciated here," he managed to press out between his gritted teeth.

"Well, since I'm certain you've been yourself already, try something new?" Luna said, "I mean, I know you have... done these things just a few times and you weren't too enthused, but what if they had always been the wrong person? Why not... test your luck?"

"But what if it destroys everything that we have? I don't want to lose hi... _them_ ," Noctis said, correcting himself in the very last moment, just to realize that Luna hadn't even asked him who they were talking about.

"Noctis," Luna said with gentle determination. "I don't think you're in any danger losing that person. If they don't reciprocate your feelings, they will tell you and then you know where you stand and the two of you can go back to being friends. But if they feel the same way as you do, then you two can expand your friendship and wouldn't that be wonderful? To have someone who understands you better than you do yourself?"

"But... What if..." Noctis started and gestured to his body. He was afraid that Prompto would want more than he was ready to give.

"You don't have to worry about the physical part. You two can take it slow and I'm sure they will only do something when you're ready, okay?" Luna hummed and reached out to squeeze his hand reassuringly. "Because they love you and respect you. Don't worry, I'm sure that everything will turn out fine."

Noctis smiled at her and wished that he had her confidence in himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moon Sea's K totally thinks they're a couple, too. ੧| ‾́ 〜 ‾́ |੭
> 
> Okay, so. I am aware this makes Noctis sound like he's SUPER asexual from his previous experiences, like if he was raped or anything. Nothing like that happened. He just... Well, he was persuaded to have sex and went with it, didn't like it and since it's been a few years at this point and hasn't really talked to anyone about his experience and _why_ he didn't like it, he has worked himself up into the kind of trauma I'm describing for him here. Basically, since he doesn't know better, he is trapped in his own thoughts. (This shit happens if you don't talk to other people about your problems, kids!)
> 
> He and Prompto will have to work through that, I know. They will, because they're good for each other and yeah, this is one of the points that this story will focus on _after_ they got together. It won't be easy, but it won't be a very painful process either.
> 
> Among _other_ things. ;D


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Are you... do you have anything planned for tomorrow? I... I think I have a Christmas present for you. Not quite as great as that, but still... good."
> 
> "Um... I'm free? I think," Prompto replied, albeit a little hesitantly. "Let me just... Yep, I'm free. All yours, just tell me where we meet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a little later than usual, but I'm sure you all noticed there were some problems Ao3 was having.
> 
> But! Here we are! :D

Even though Noctis wasn't interested in kissing, all he could think about was the kiss he planted on Prompto's lips during their performance of Lestallum Rock. He was completely annoyed that he couldn't remember one bit of it and even the videos that Cidney sent him didn't help to jog his memory.

Quite the opposite. If he hadn't seen himself grab Prompto's chin, tilt it up and press his lips to the purple ones until the lipstick started smearing from both their sweat and saliva, he wouldn't believe it.

Thank the gods that no one had still recognized him as the prince, or otherwise that would have been a huge scandal.

On the other hand, Noctis decided he should just consider himself lucky that his band members were such good sports and took all his antics in strike. Even though Nyx had smacked the back of his head after the kiss Noctis had declared as platonic, the guitarist had smiled and grinned at the audience before pulling the swaying lead singer off the stage. 

He must have collapsed after that.

Still, Noctis regretted the fact that he could absolutely not remember what the kiss felt like and all throughout the month that he was unable to meet up with the blond, he started obsessing over how it could have felt like.

Oh, how he hoped that it wasn't anything like his first kiss where the girl had pushed her tongue enthusiastically into his mouth. Well, from what he could see on the video, he hadn't done that at least.

~*~

Noctis disliked Decembers as much as he liked visiting all the places for charities. Decembers were so busy that he had absolutely no time for himself. That only changed once Christmas came around and his only duty was to play the good boyfriend for Luna. Really, the day that he spent at her side, one day before Christmas Day, driving around in his car to go to the fancy restaurant of the year, was one of the most relaxed he had had during the whole month.

This year, they went to this new 5-star restaurant that had opened in November. It was situated on top of the wall around the city, just at the South of Insomnia, where rocky cliffs met the ocean. The chef was one of the most decorated ones of all Eos, having made numerous appearances on National TV for combining the haute cuisine of all parts of Eos. They had invited the couple to help them advertise their venue among the richest of the rich and as Noctis stepped onto the deck of the newly built expansion of what had once been a stronghold against the attackers of Lucis, he realized that someone like Prompto would never be able to see this place.

But he had to see this place. The view onto the city was absolutely breathtaking, with the sunset tinting the whole city in oranges and pinks, and on the other side you could see the same spectacle reflected on the waves of the ocean. Sure, it was cold, but even Noctis couldn't stop admiring the view. Only when Luna pulled him inside he realized that he had been shivering really badly already.

He received a hot chocolate to warm up and even _that_ was magnificent. Almost better than Ignis' cooking, and that was something big coming from him.

Over dinner, Luna picked up the conversation about his personal life.

"Well, Noctis, have you gotten any further with your... _personal_ issue?" she asked, picking up a slice of garula steak from her carefully prepared plate.

"...Not much, I'm afraid," Noctis replied, eating his own steak while trying to ignore the veggies on the side as much as he could.

Luna lowered her fork and gave him a look.

"Look, I'm still afraid, okay?" Noctis replied defensively after he had finished chewing.

"What of?" Luna shot back, giving him that very stern look that Noctis usually only knew from Ignis. "What is the worst that could happen?"

"The worst... you know what's the worst case scenario," Noctis hissed, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Noctis... you should know that this is not going to happen," Luna said softly then, trying her best to calm his nerves. "I am sure that everything will work out..."

"How... how can you be?" Noctis asked with a little whine in his voice, still admiring her confidence.

"Female intuition," Luna gave back with a smile that was almost a grin. But since Luna was who she was, no one would ever see her grin in a public situation.

"I can't shake the feeling that you know something that I don't," Noctis sighed and finished his steak, putting his cutlery on the plate, that was still half-full with vegetables.

"My role in this doesn't matter, I'm just here to encourage you," Luna smiled, finishing her own plate. "You really should have tried the beans, they were delicious."

"...You know I don't like... _beans_ ," Noctis replied meekly, wrinkling his nose in disgust as he looked down at the green stalks on his half-empty plate. He hadn't said anything before, when he was asked about his allergies, because he didn't have any allergies. Plus, he had been distracted by the heavenly hot chocolate.

"Noctis Lucis Caelum. You're a grown up man. You can tell people you don't like beans or you eat them before you insult the chef," Luna chuckled before she leaned back as the waiter came to collect their plates.

Noctis looked adequately sheepish and apologized for not eating the beans, he just didn't feel like eating them. They had a few moments before they were supposed to get their desserts.

"...I think... I mean, I have an idea. This is... a very nice place," he said and trailed off, his gaze getting caught by the many lights of the city of Insomnia, creating a match for the stars in the sky. Really, Prompto needed to see this; Noctis was sure that the photographs he could take of the scenery would be more than marvelous.

"Oh, you want to conf- _do it_ here?" Luna asked, a kind of childish excitement in her voice that Noctis wasn't really used to. She could only catch herself in the very last moment possible, too, remembering that the walls here had ears, now that they were here. She couldn't just simply ask Noctis if he wanted to _confess_ while she was around. Since he had officially already confessed to _her_.

"It's... maybe? I mean, _you'd_ like that, right?" Noctis asked, carefully choosing his words as well as he asked Luna for her opinion.

"It's a great place. Perfect for that occasion," she agreed enthusiastically. Her cheeks colored with excitement and Noctis blushed in return as well.

A part of him wondered what the tabloids would make of this exchange. But he was more worried about what Prompto might think if he took him here, showed him the view and then asked him... if he liked him, too.

Now, he just needed to make a discreet reservation.

~*~

In hindsight, it was a stupid idea to assume that there would be a reservation slot open, just because Noctis was the Prince of Lucis. Especially if he wanted to stay incognito. So, instead of making a reservation for Christmas Day, Noctis decided to push his luck and make one for Valentine's Day. He would still be able to pass the reservation on to someone else if things didn't work out.

His plan B was probably a bit cheap, coming from him, but it would be impossible to realize for anyone else. But he wanted to see Prompto, and even if it was cold, he was sure that the blond would appreciate the gesture. Besides, he hadn't been over to the Citadel before and Noctis thought that after all the years as his friend he deserved as much.

So he called the blond right after he had returned home from his date with Luna.

"Hey, Noct," Prompto said with sunshine in his voice that Noctis had been missing so dearly lately. "How was your date with Luna today? I saw some glimpses of it on TV."

"It was... nice," Noctis replied as he undressed slowly. First, he tossed his cravat aside, then toed off his shoes.

"Just... _nice_?" Prompto parroted, teasing him, just like he would always do when Noctis gave him single syllable answers.

"Well, the view was fantastic, I'll... I'll take you there some day. The food was fantastic, too, you would have loved it..." He trailed off, wrinkling his nose as he remembered the beans on his main dish plate.

"But?" Prompto pressed on, because he knew that Noctis was trying to hide something.

"...there were _beans_ on the menu," Noctis sighed as he rolled his eyes and let himself fall down to sit on his bed. "You'd have loved it, everything was so _healthy_ ," he groaned before he let himself fall backwards. He closed his eyes and imagined that Prompto was there with him, talking to him as he lay on his side in the prince's king size bed.

The blond chuckled and Noctis found himself smiling just from listening to his voice. "Well, no surprise you weren't too enthused. And you only want to take me there so I will eat your beans, just admit it."

Laughing, Noctis admitted, "Okay, you got me there. But the view was also... _Great_ doesn't even begin to describe it. It was the best view I've ever seen before. On one side Insomnia, bathed in the sunset before the night fell on it, on the other the ocean and in the distance, Duscae with its cliffs and mountains... I would have taken so many pictures on my phone, but I'd rather have the expert do this."

"Okay, tell me the address and I'll go by myself," Prompto hummed, moving the phone from one side of his face to the other with audible rustling.

"No, I... I'll invite you, okay? Some day," Noctis repeated, mentally kicking himself for not doing so right then. But it was too early, with still almost two months to go. "Are you... do you have anything planned for tomorrow? I... I think I have a Christmas present for you. Not quite as great as that, but still... _good_."

"Um... I'm free? I think," Prompto replied, albeit a little hesitantly. "Let me just... Yep, I'm free. All yours, just tell me where we meet."

"I'll get you," Noctis smiled, feeling his heart beat faster because Prompto agreed so easily. He could remember his invitation to going drinking with the band that Prompto had agreed to at first but then didn't come after all. "Just be ready around... 4pm."

"Um, will we have dinner? Because I need to know so I don't stuff my face with leftovers from today," Prompto asked, and Noctis could hear something tapping on the other end of the line. Like a pen on skin or something.

"Dude, you never stuff your face," Noctis chuckled. "But yeah, there will be dinner. Maybe tea, we will see."

"As long as I don't have to dress up to meet the king, I'm fine," Prompto laughed and Noctis joined his laughter. 

"I can't tell you anything, it's a surprise after all," he grinned, and he could just imagine Prompto blanching at that. He managed to hold back his chuckles for about three seconds of tense silence between them, but then they burst out of him like nothing. "I'm kidding you, I'm kidding you! I mean, there will be security checks involved, but I'm pretty sure that we won't run into dad."

"Man, you gotta warn a dude before that! I need to make sure I look, I dunno, _representable_ or something!"

"I promise you, you can just be yourself," Noctis laughed, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. "Just wait for a text from me, I'll get you. And your camera."

"...are you sure," Prompto asked and Noctis knew that he didn't believe him one bit. "Because if we, like, climb on top of the Citadel and run into King Regis at some point, I'll have you know that I will rethink my participation in this year's New Year's event."

"Dude, no. You gotta come to this!" Noctis gasped, all humor drained from his voice. "It wouldn't be same without you!"

Once again, there were a few moments of tense silence before it was Prompto who burst into giggles this time. "Okay, okay. But seriously speaking though, how high are the chances to run into your dad? On a five-point scale of very low to very high?"

Noctis blinked, wondering what Prompto could mean with a five-point scale. Very low, low, neutral, high, very high?

"Uh... Realistically? I guess low? Maybe 50-50 at most," he replied with a little frown. "Really, we'll be on our own."

"Okay, I'll trust you. Tomorrow at 4?" Prompto asked again, and Noctis didn't know if he really believed him or not.

"Yeah. I'll text you either way. Can't wait to see you," Noctis added honestly. He felt himself blush and was for once glad that they weren't prone to do video calls but preferred good old-fashioned audio calls.

"Me neither. See you tomorrow. Night, Noct," Prompto replied and Noctis felt the butterflies in his stomach going mad again.

Maybe Luna was right and he should really do something about this soon.

~*~

Noctis spent most of the following day getting ready. He informed Ignis that they would be having a guest for dinner and only told him after many inquisitive questions _who_ it was. Ignis was - understandably - surprised, but congratulated Noctis anyway.

That confused the prince only for as long as he needed to start getting nervous about what he should wear. Everything he owned was either too formal or too casual and didn't he wear that t-shirt the last time when they went to see a movie? Oh, and his I hair was getting too long, maybe he should start gelling it back, too?

Noctis then remembered that he needed to shave, too, otherwise he would sport a shadow of a beard and after making fun of Prompto's goatee for the past months, he couldn't really give the blond an opening to do the same to him.

After cutting himself twice, Noctis decided that he needed to calm down first. This sensation that Luna had described as butterflies in his stomach was taking overhand and he needed to have a clear mind later. No way he would make a fool out of himself for gazing into the blond's violet blue eyes for too long. It had happened before and Noctis had only managed to talk himself out of trouble by saying that he had spaced out because he had been tired.

He messed with his hair for an hour, gelled it back, decided that he looked too much like the prince and washed the gel back out. Then he tried to spike it like he used to two years ago, but it didn't quite work because his hair was too long already. In the end, he made a spontaneous appointment with his hairdresser. They cut just the tips, brought it back into shape and then styled it so that it looked just like his usual casual style. After wearing it a little longer for all of summer, Noctis felt so much younger with his old style again.

Funny how a hairdo could do that to you.

However, when he was done, he realized that he had only little time to find something to wear, something not too formal - because it was _him_ and not the prince going out - but not too casual either, because it was a special occasion after all. In the end, he decided on a pair of black jeans and a holiday-themed sweater, because it was both cold and the season. Plus, Noctis couldn't wait for Prompto to call him 'dork' and smile oh-so-softly at him.

He grabbed the keys to his car, not even thinking about that someone could see him going where the Prince of Lucis shouldn't go.

~*~

Noctis remembered to text Prompto as he stopped at a red light on the way to the artist's apartment. 

'Omw,' he wrote, sending a 'be there in 5,' afterwards. He tapped his index finger with the rhythm of the song on the radio, humming along with the lyrics before he realized that it was an oldie that his father used to like from _The Mommies and Daddies_ , _Dream A Little Dream of Me_. He was surprised that it wasn't a Christmas song that was on, but well, he usually listened to radio stations that played a little more alternative music than the rest.

At least it hadn't snowed this year. His car was such a low rider that it was only good on the highway. On normal streets it was pretty much a bumpy ride and he had to be careful with each and every pothole so that the car didn't get damaged. Which was why he took that particular car only on special occasions and he guessed he had subconsciously decided that today was a very special day.

When he pulled up in front of Prompto's apartment complex, he was both surprised and relieved that the blond was already waiting for him. He could see his eyes going wide as he spotted the car and Noctis couldn't help but smirk at the sheer look of surprise on the blond's face. He was wearing the darkest pants he had ever seen on the blond and a dark woolen pea coat. His hair wasn't styled up in his by now usual style, but was pressed straight to his face thanks to the beanie that he was wearing.

"Get in loser, we're going for a ride," he grinned as he pushed the door on the passenger's side open.

"Holy... Dude, you have balls, showing up with this car in this part of the city," Prompto gushed as he slid into the racing seat next to Noctis, buckling up with the seatbelt before he started to take off his beanie and the thick plaid scarf that hid half of his face. "Is this my present? Getting to ride in the _Star of Lucis_?"

"Well, it's part of it?" Noctis replied as he pulled back onto the street to return to the Citadel. "Just thought that it's the best car to go to where we're going."

"And where would that be?" Prompto asked as he folded the scarf and beanie on his camera bag in his lap. He ran a hand through his hair to fluff it up and Noctis couldn't stop his heart from skipping a beat and how good the blond looked.

"You'll see," Noctis said as enigmatically as he could, although he felt pretty lame since he was only going to show Prompto the Citadel. That wasn't anything special, right? They saw that building every day after all, since it was in the city center.

A few moments passed in silence before Prompto huffed a breath. "Dude, what the heck are you wearing? A _bad taste sweater_?" The blond chuckled. "That's the fluffiest snowman I've ever seen. You're such a _dork_."

Noctis' smile grew when Prompto called him a dork, because that was exactly what he had predicted would happen and he was so happy that Prompto was reacting just the way he had hoped he would. Maybe everything else would work out fine.

"I'll have you know that this is a present from Ignis' parents. They gave matching ones to me, Gladio and, well, my dad, too," Noctis explained and watched how Prompto's mouth dropped open disbelievingly.

"You can't tell me... _the King_?!" Prompto gasped and patted his camera. "Good thing I have this. These pictures will be worth a _fortune_!"

"If Ignis allows you to use them," Noctis warned, but Prompto just kept on laughing.

"I can always say those're altered, but damn, do I want to see that with my own two eyes!"

Noctis chuckled warmly, before he added, "I thought you were afraid of running into my dad?"

"Well, I kinda... did some mental preparation last night?" Prompto admitted sheepishly, a blush dusting his cheeks, that made Noctis blush in return.

"Prom..." he started, just as the blond fiddled with the strap of his camera bag. "How much sleep did you get?"

"...Enough?" Prompto said and Noctis could see way too easily through that lie.

"Six, you're the worst in that way," Noctis breathed and shook his head lightly before he took the last turn towards the road that would take him directly to the Citadel's underground parking.

"Noct," Prompto said as he finally seemed to realize where they were going. "Are you taking me... to your home."

"Surprise!" Noctis cheered as he passed by the guards who let him through without so much as looking twice. "Remember when you said you'd love to take a picture from-"

"-the top of the Citadel?! Holy _shit_! Noct! Really?" Prompto gasped and gripped his equipment tighter. "Best. Present. _Ever_."

"That's what you said last time," Noctis chuckled, returning his car to the spot where it had been parked before. 

"Well, the last one _was_ the best present until _then_. This is even better," Prompto breathed, wiggling his leg impatiently before Noctis had fully parked the car. He always did that when he was especially excited and had to sit still and couldn't do anything creative with his hands. Noctis thought it was cute.

As soon as the prince had killed the engine, Prompto jumped out of the car and got out his camera to take a picture of Noctis getting out of it, too.

"Okay, please tell me what I'm not allowed to take pictures of. I promise I'll ask which one's I want to use before I do, but you can't take me here and not expect me to take pictures of everything," Prompto gushed, lifting the camera again and Noctis couldn't help but chuckle because it was just a normal concrete parking garage.

"You have to be careful with the guards around, but there isn't much that's really forbidden to take pictures of... But I didn't want to show you the best kept secret in all of Lucis anyway," Noctis replied, trying to keep his poker face on, even as Prompto's eyes became as big as saucers.

"What kind of secret," the blond whispered in reverence. "Is there a dark family secret, well-kept all throughout hundreds and thousands of years?"

"What, you mean the founder's cousin, who's still alive, able to use magic that we've locked up deep down under the earth to use his magic to generate electricity and everything?" Noctis replied, biting his tongue when Prompto gasped loudly.

"I knew it!" Prompto breathed. "What's his name? Did you meet him?"

"Uh... he's called... Uncle Lester," Noctis lied, waiting for Prompto to catch onto his lie. "And yeah, sure! I meet him everyday, for breakfast and dinner. He's really nice, but he sucks at video games."

For a few moments, Prompto looked at him, awestruck, before realization hit in slowly.

"Dude. Not cool. I believed you!" 

Noctis laughed at the scandalized look on his best friend's face, both glad and relieved that he was able to act just like usual and take some of his edge off with this lame joke. Even as Prompto pouted at his laughter, Noctis steeled himself to get ready for what he wanted to propose.

"Do you want the grand tour or do you want me to show you your present right now?" Noctis asked, before he checked his phone for the time of the sunset. "Scratch that, we better get going now, if you want the grand tour, I'll show you around afterwards."

"I wasn't aware that this was about timing, but okay, I'll take whatever I can get," Prompto replied, straightening his shoulders. "Show me around, oh great future leader!"

Noctis winced at the sound of that, even though a part of him really liked the prospect of Prompto looking up at him and calling him _leader_. It sent goosebumps over his skin and he only shook them off so that he was able to walk over to the first set of elevators they would be taking now. He held the door for Prompto once they had opened and then stepped inside as well.

"Let's go," he said and pressed the button for the top level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S A DATE! :D SOON! SOON NOCTIS WILL CONFESS AND! AND!
> 
> Well, this won't be the end of the story. ;D


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis had this planned out in detail. Too bad that the universe is still against him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Notes will go here later.)

A few long elevator rides later, after changing at a few levels in between, Noctis sighed deeply as they arrived at the top most floor of the southern tower of the Citadel. They had to climb up another set of spiral stairs to get on top of the cylindrical structure and into a small, circular room right in its middle, with a door leading to a terrace outside. No one really went there though because it was always too windy and cold out there this high up and Noctis wouldn't recommend it in the middle of December, but if Prompto said he wanted to take a look, he would open the door for him.

The gazebo was made fully of glass, even the roof was see-through, the panels between the individual window panes painted intricately in floral patterns and organic shapes, looking like one of Tenebrae's lookouts. 

Noctis liked this place because it reminded him of the time when he had stayed with Luna after the attack on him as a child. Aside from that, it was one of the few places that was left mostly in its original state. The old kings would come here to watch the sunrise and the sunset, have secret dates with their future spouses or talk about the most secret things. Thanks to being so high up, they were able to see early on if there were any attackers and sometimes even what was going on behind the enemy lines. Noctis remembered that his father used to take him up to this place to tell him tales of his mother, how this was her favorite place in all of the Citadel, because no matter where Regis was, she would be able to see him from up there. 

Sure, it was silly because you couldn't even see Lestallum, but anybody standing here would certainly get the impression that they were able to see the whole world.

"Holy...! Well, _fuck_ me sideways, this is... _unbelievable_!" Prompto breathed, jogging up the last steps after Noctis had climbed up in front. The blond kept looking around before he lifted the camera to take a few snapshots here and there.

Noctis tried not to blush too hard at Prompto's strong language and the mental images it conjured, but he was still glad that the blond distracted himself by basically pressing himself to the window to enjoy the 360° view. He sat down in one of the two winged chairs and just enjoyed watching Prompto enjoy the view, listening to the wind blowing around the fragile looking structure.

"I knew you'd like this," he said softly after a few minutes, when Prompto seemed to start calming down.

"This place is incredible! Every artist's dream," the blond gushed, eyes wide in wonder. "What... what _is_ this place though?"

"The kings come here to... think. Sometimes to talk. It's a peaceful place where your gaze can wander over almost all of Lucis. There's Galahd in the East, South is Accordo, West is Duscae and Mt. Ravatogh, and somewhere behind everything, there's Tenebrae and Niflheim. Dad took me here as a kid to show me how big the world really was and that my place in it was just... a teeny tiny speck in the long history of Lucian kings. Kinda puts you in place," Noctis shrugged, shifting a little to cross his legs and lean back in the chair.

"It's... well, you certainly feel small here. But it's such a great view and you can see _so much_ , too! Are there places like this on the other towers as well?" Prompto asked as he looked over to them.

"There were... but the other three got destroyed in the last wars. This one is the only reconstructed one and they tried to stay as close to the original as possible. These windows? Handcrafted by old Accordian masters. The frames and the stairs were made by Tenebraen artists-"

"I wanted to say, it looked Tenebraen!" Prompto piped up, running his hand over the wooden carvings. "...It looks so fragile that I feel like I'm going to break anything any second now," he admitted after a moment, standing around as if he didn't know what to do with himself.

Noctis smiled at him. "Here's nothing an eager four-year-old prince couldn't destroy. I'm pretty sure you can't get as creative as I was back back then."

"Are you sure? I feel like I could just... _break_ off this... _thing_ ," Prompto replied and ran a hand over something on the stairs' railing that looked like a branch. For a moment, Noctis could see him trying, but he said nothing because he knew how sturdy it was.

"I spilled hot chocolate on these chairs before," he admitted after a long moment of silence. "They're, like, hundreds of years old."

Prompto blinked as he let got of the wood and then snorted. "Where?"

"I don't remember exactly _where_ , but Ignis scolded me a _lot_ before he sent someone to clean them up. Judging from the stains on them, I'm wasn't the first one either. There are quite a few stains of red wine on the arms if you look real close," Noctis pointed out and shifted a bit to look himself.

"Really? Let me see." Prompto sat down on the other chair and looked around, running his hands over the coarse fabric. "It really feels old... almost _alive_... like, I wonder what stories they could tell..."

"Probably how much my grandfather farted," Noctis said with a nonchalant shrug. He bit his tongue, because once again he was trying to play down his nervousness with stupid jokes.

Luckily they seemed to work, because Prompto broke out into barking laughter. "Man, you make the _worst_ jokes!"

"It's not a joke! King Mors was apparently a big fan of... of _beans_ and you can just-"

"Oh Six, _really_?" Prompto gasped and continued to laugh even harder. "Is that why you don't like beans? Afraid to-"

"No!" Noctis protested, but was unable to hold back his own laughter. "No, not because I don't want to add to _that_ particular story! I just don't like them because they're disgusting."

"You're such a _kid_!" Prompto teased and the two of them continued to laugh until they were out of breath. 

As a comfortable silence fell between them, the sun reached the horizon in the West, painting the sky in orange and purple on a cool blue winter background. They watched in awe as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, behind the wall, taking the light with it. Since it was winter, it happened much sooner than usual, but it was noticeable that the days were already getting longer again.

When the light was gone and the first stars started twinkling in the sky, Prompto exhaled softly.

"This was by far the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen... Even the one in Tenebrae can't compete with this one," he said in full awe, turning to smile at Noctis. "Thank you for showing me this."

Noctis looked back, his heart still going a mile a minute after watching the colors of the sky on Prompto's face, kissing his freckles just like Noctis sometimes dreamed of doing.

"It was nothing," he said, his voice croaky and dry and he had to clear his throat a little. "Really. You can come up with me here any time."

"You sure? I thought this was where the Lucian kings came to think?" Prompto asked, his tone clearly teasing him. "You think your dad would approve?"

"He-" Noctis started, but was interrupted by a new deep and gentle voice.

"He approves for those his son holds dear," Regis Lucis Caelum said as he came up the spiral staircase, taking his time as he supported himself on his cane.

"Dad! What-" Noctis gasped, pushing himself up and out of the chair.

"Your majesty!" Prompto to his side squeaked, jumped up to his feet and then did this very funny thing where he tried both to bow and kneel at the same time. Noctis winced as the blond's knee hit the hardwood floor much too hard and when he glanced to his father, he could see that he looked just as worried.

"Please... get up. It's enough if one of us has a ruined knee," Regis said and extended a hand to help Prompto up. "Besides, I'm not here as the King, I'm here as a father to finally meet the man that my son has been talking about so highly of for so many years now."

"... _years_?" Prompto piped up and Noctis wanted to groan. "I-I mean, we've... known each other for quite a while now..."

"Dad..." he tried to stop his father from revealing even more embarrassing things about him.

Regis chuckled and extended his hand more for Prompto to take and get up again. "Nice to meet you. You must be MR... mrr..."

"Mercury, your majesty, um, but my real name is Prompto Argentum, you can call me Prompto," the artist replied, scrambling back to his feet with the help of the king. Noctis could see that that tips of his ears were a dark red and he smiled to himself.

"You told that my father a lot quicker than me," Noctis teased, watching Prompto fluster further.

"Well, he's the _king_ and not just a rich kid wannabe rockstar," Prompto snapped back, just to turn even redder before he started sputtering and apologizing.

Both Noctis and his father stared at the blond in various stages of surprise and shock and while Noctis flushed and flustered after being embarrassed not only by his father in front of his best friend, but also the other way round.

The worst part was, everything was the truth. MRCRY was one of the big things that he could talk about non-stop and he was a rich kid that wanted to be a rockstar. But he also worked hard to accomplish that dream, so he thought that it was a little unfair to still call him a wannabe rock star. On the other hand, if Prompto still wanted to make fun of him, he wouldn't have joined his band, right?

Next to him, Regis started chuckling, that warm, fatherly sound that Noctis had heard not enough ever since the missile attack from Niflheim. He relaxed and smiled despite himself, and Prompto next to him did the same as he saw the king laugh so freely.

"Well, I'm still glad that you decided to stand by my son's side. It's been very important to him," Regis said and continued to smile at the blond. "I really like the painting that Noctis has in his room... what was its name?"

" _Tenebraen Delight_ ," Noctis supplied, unable to stop himself from blushing.

"Ah yes, the one you made Ignis buy for you back when we were still wondering how to pronounce that artist name," Regis nodded. "Needless to say we were all wrong about it. But it's nice to learn that you derived the name from your real name."

"I've always thought it was a little too obvious, but it looked nice when I wrote it, so I kept it," Prompto admitted, while sheepishly running his hand through the back of his hair.

"Well, it's certainly more creative than _Noct Gar_ ," Regis said with a glance to Noctis, who felt like bristling at the insult. "Everyone was already calling him Noct and he really likes fishing gar, it's a surprise that no one saw through that yet."

Despite his warm smile, Noctis knew that his father's criticism was well-meant, but strict. He knew he should have come up with something more creative, something more like Prompto's _MRCRY_ , but really, who would think that the Prince of Lucis would come up with such a lame pseudonym? In fact, Noctis thought he should be praised for his genius, because no one would ever guess it was him.

"Did Noctis invite you for dinner?" Regis asked and interrupted Noctis pouting. Prompto nodded and looked over to Noctis questioningly, because after all, Noctis had promised him that they wouldn't meet his dad. Which, as it turned out, was a mistake.

"Yes, I asked Ignis to prepare something for us," Noctis replied in the blond's stead, taking a small step forward.

"Is that so? Well, here I was hoping that my own son would join me for dinner on this holy day, but it seems as if I'm only his second choice," Regis lamented and Noctis just so managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes at his father. "However, if it's alright with Ignis and the royal chef, maybe they could join their menus and the three of us could eat together? If that is alright with you, dear Prompto?"

"Sure!" Prompto said a little too quickly and Noctis couldn't stop himself from snorting in amusement.

"You're just saying that because you don't want to say no to the king," he teased and could see all blood being drained from Prompto's face. He mouthed something that looked like 'Dude, no. Are you trying to kill me?' but no sounds would come out.

"It's okay to say no, young man," Regis chuckled, smiling at the silent bickering of the two younger men. "I can understand if you want to spend your time with my son alone."

Noctis blinked, then blushed because he remembered that he had originally wanted to confess to Prompto there and then. Well, that had been effectively interrupted by his father's presence, so they just had to roll with it.

He looked back at Prompto and shrugged, trying to communicate without words that it was okay to do whatever he wanted. If he didn't want to spend more time with Noctis' father because he was intimidated by his sheer presence, then that was okay. But it was also okay to spend more time with him because Noctis was actually hoping that Prompto would also be getting along with his father. He knew that Regis was a very good diplomat thanks to his years of experience dealing with other stubborn leaders, but he also knew that Regis could be pretty stubborn himself. If he didn't like Prompto, then that might mean the end of a lot of things for Noctis. And Noctis wanted to lose none of them. Thus, he was just as nervous about this than Prompto seemed to be.

But he trusted Prompto to be the best he could be, that he was able to captivate his father's heart with his sunny self just as much as he seemed to have captured anyone else's. Everyone of Monsters of the Deep liked him, even Crowe, who had been against opening up the band to outsiders at first. Now Prompto was an established member, irreplaceable and important for the whole process. 

"I... Um, if it's okay with... with your majesty? But I must warn you, I'm just a normal citizen, a pleb, I know absolutely nothing about the etiquette at the court and I'm sure I'll fu- mess up which knife and fork to use, even if Noctis gave me a crash course a few years ago," Prompto stammered and Noctis realized that not only had the blond stopped himself from cursing, but also called him by his given name instead of the shortened version that doubled as his artist name.

He was looking after these tiny things already, so Noctis was sure that the blond would manage, no matter what he said.

"Please relax, dear Prompto. This isn't anything official, just a father trying to spend some time with his son and his special friend on Christmas," Regis replied with a patronizing smile. "You don't need to worry about etiquette. Did Noctis tell you that he never ate his greens as a kid?"

"I know that he still doesn't like them," Prompto replied, looking a little unsure as to where this was going.

Noctis only groaned when his father continued. "He would only eat his spinach when I ate it first and showed him how it painted my tongue green. We'd stick out our tongues at each other to find out whose tongue was the greenest."

" _Dad_ ," Noctis whined as his father chuckled, even while Prompto stared at them in pure wonder.

"...I saw pictures of the prince when he was little," the blond started slowly and Noctis eyebrows rose with interest. "He... was very cute, but looked always so... so well-behaved. I... I remember how my caretaker told me to be just like the prince in times of doubt. Smile and pretend that I have everything under control, just so that I didn't attract any unwanted attention..."

"Did they say that?" Regis asked, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. "That's... an interesting advice for a child."

"Y-yeah, I thought that, too. But I always tried my best to live by her words. 'Be the best you can be, but keep your head down.' I-I mean, we were refugees, but so many other kids in my classes were, too, and they were just... normal kids. Loud ones and shy ones, and then me in the middle, always alone because I didn't know the benefit of friends or how to make them. That... changed later on, naturally, but I... still have problems opening up most of the time," Prompto explained, just to frown at himself because he realized that he was obviously digressing. His cheeks were a dark red and he even rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly again. Noctis watched him curiously, because he didn't know what Prompto wanted to say.

It wasn't like he said anything that was new for him, but it was surprising that he would come out with these very private details about himself after meeting his dad just for ten minutes.

"I-I don't really know why I'm telling you all this _now_ , I mean, you're the king and... and stuff, but... I guess... I guess I want to say that Noctis is the first real friend I've ever had and... it's even more amazing because he's the _prince_ and I'm just... _nobody_ , a kid from the lower classes that got lucky," Prompto explained and Noctis felt as if his heart was going to burst. He wanted to take the blond's hand and squeeze it, he wanted to hug Prompto and never let go and for the first time ever in his whole life, he could feel the words ' _I love you_ ' forming and he had a hard time not to spill them. 

He still didn't know what romantic love was, but he was always looking forward to meeting up with the artist and right now he was sure that whatever was going on in the pit of his stomach, it was what Luna had described as butterflies. Everything felt fluttery, upside down and twisted and just seeing Prompto's little blush had him bite his lip because he looked so adorable.

"You're not nobody," Regis chose to answer the blond's outburst, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You are my son's most important friend and for that, I have to thank _you_. Thank you for making my son smile during boring meetings with your texts, for inspiring him to become a better person than he already was and for making him progress with his music. I know how dear he holds you from the way he talks about you," Regis concluded and Noctis was so embarrassed that he briefly prayed to Ifrit to let him combust spontaneously. 

" _Dad_ , I _do_ have friends of my own!" Noctis whined, but Regis just shook his head with a smile. Noctis also wanted to protest that he wasn't looking at his phone during meetings, but he _was_ , he had just thought that no one had caught onto that.

"I'm glad that you and Prompto found one another. Your mutual support is obvious just how _good_ for each other. It reminds me of my own friendships that I held dear throughout my life," Regis explained and nodded towards the stairs. "Shall we go downstairs to get dinner? I'll let Ignis and the chef know that we'll be dining together."

"Thank you, your majesty," Prompto replied and gestured for the king to lead. He shot a look at Noctis and smiled awkwardly at him before he followed Regis downstairs.

"Your friendship reminds me a lot of the one Aulea and I had when we were younger," Regis said then and kept on talking about Noctis' mother for the rest of the evening, adding in little anecdotes about Noctis' childhood, little known things that weren't known to the public at all.

Of course, Noctis was mortified, but it was also nice to see his father and Prompto smile and laugh over dinner. There was a short moment when Prompto learned just how much the wine was worth that they had been drinking all now and panicked for a moment, but Regis managed easily to calm him down.

Really, it was nice to see them get along so easily, so naturally that Noctis forgave them when they started sharing their embarrassing stories about him. He really didn't need to relive the train ride from Tenebrae though, where he had climbed into Prompto's bed because he couldn't sleep after having a round of nightmares. Or every other time that Prompto had woken up with Noctis clinging to him like an Octopus. At least he left out what had happened on stage at Lestallum Rock, but that was about it. 

Even Noctis' father said that he had learned more about his son in these few hours than in the last years. He thanked Prompto for taking such good care of his son and for being by his side even in difficult times and Noctis couldn't be prouder of his friend than he was then.

It was only after father and son had said good-bye to Prompto at the foot of the stairs of the Citadel that Noctis realized that once again, he had failed his initial mission to confess his mess of feelings for the artist.

"He's a very good man, Noctis," Regis said once the car with Prompto had disappeared behind the gates of the Citadel. "He... _does_ remind me of your mother, too. I'm very happy you have found someone like him to cherish and adore."

Noctis was completely flabbergasted by those words. Sure, he adored Prompto and wanted to protect him with everything he had, but for his father to comment like they were going out already? What was that about? 

Thus, he replied eloquently, "Thanks... I guess?"

Regis took a long, deep breath as he squared his shoulders. It was late already and the night was as icy as Shiva's touch, making both their bones ache thanks to their old injuries. "It sure will bring some changes to the line of Lucis, but you have my blessings, to wherever your path will lead you."

Noctis blinked and then turned his head to stare at his father in pure confusion.

Why did it sound like the king was planning their wedding already? They weren't even dating yet!

Which - in all fairness - was entirely Noctis' fault, but that didn't mean like they were acting completely like a couple already, were they?

"What is it, my son?" Regis asked after Noctis must have stared at him for a few moments too long.

"Dad, it's," he started, but then frowned. How could he tell his father that he was wrong about this? At least for the moment? "It's been a really nice evening. Sorry I didn't ask you to join sooner, but I was afraid that Prompto would be... too anxious if you were around."

"Seems like everything went better than expected then," his father smiled and clapped his son's shoulder. "We should better go to sleep. Clarus will kick my ass if I won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning."

"'A king should never sleep, but he knows when to rest,'" Noctis quoted one of his father's favorite quotes with a fond smile. "Something that I still have to learn."

"You will eventually, my son," Regis smiled and then turned around to walk back up the stairs. Noctis followed him slowly, lost in his own thoughts. He had missed the perfect chance to confess. Sure, he would probably be able to confess any other day, but Noctis wanted it to be _special_. He was a prince after all and he knew that Prompto secretly liked fairy tales, so if he could play the role of prince charming for him, then he would do that! He was good at that, too, since he had been practicing for years with Luna now.

Well. There was the reservation he had made for Valentine's Day. He could probably confess that day, but he would rather have that be one of their later, _real_ dates.

Noctis wanted this to be perfect, because he cared about Prompto. He cared about him so much that he was starting to think that whatever was between them must have been love after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter has the working title "The Kiss."


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the lack of comment last week, I was distracted and a little busy because we _finally_ caved and got Final Fantasy XV. I have been playing ever since, but worry not! I do still spend enough time writing on this story. :D
> 
> Last week Prompto has met Noctis' dad and Banira drew this:  
> [Link to her Twitter](https://twitter.com/vaniracoke/status/1018930604388253696)
> 
> She also painted a beautiful piece for this chapter as well, which you can find [here](http://makikoigami.tumblr.com/post/176237828366/layann-outsomnia-chapter-33-is-out).

Despite how well Prompto's meeting with King Regis had went, Noctis continued to feel a kind of nervous energy in the pit of his stomach in the days that followed. Sure, he wasn't as busy as he had been during the weeks before, but he was still so busy that the next time he would see Prompto was their annual New Year's party. And even when Noctis didn't have any appointments, the artist was busy with his own duties for a change.

The cover for Moon Sea was due soon, so Noctis couldn't really blame Prompto for not contacting him much either.

But, _oh_ , was he looking forward to the New Years party! Maybe he would finally be able to find the courage to confess. He didn't even know if he wanted Prompto to return his feelings or if he simply wanted to know if the other could understand what he was going through and then help him work out his feelings. All he knew was that he was still losing sleep over thinking about this and that the kiss - the one he couldn't remember - was haunting him in his dreams.

When the day came, he had absolutely no idea what he should do or say.

So he did what they always did: Impromptu Karaoke, Galahdian barbecue and lots and lots of beer. Noctis joked and laughed with Prompto, Nyx, Gladio and Libertus, all the while watching the Battle of the Bands. Crowe was staying in Lestallum with Cidney, but they had promised to at least call or text at midnight.

Over the last few years, Prompto had gotten a lot more confident in his own abilities, had polished them to the point where Noctis was really proud of his progress and he knew that the blond had enough fans of his own, who just waited for him to sing and rap the lines that Nyx used to sing. Sure, their voices were different, but obviously that didn't matter at all and even Noctis sometimes preferred Prompto's gentler timbre over Nyx' rough baritone even if he had wanted Monsters of the Deep sound like that.

As the clock was nearing midnight, Noctis knew he was tipsy. He had watched Prompto take the center stage for about five or six songs by now, each one of them completely different than the one before. And he looked like he was having fun, but that could have been due to the 5 bottles of beer he had had before that as well.

Nursing his own fourth bottle, Noctis found himself fantasizing about taking the role of the microphone stand, the one Prompto was just hugging so closely to his body. He could see his lips gracing the metal mesh of microphone and he couldn't help but wonder how that would feel like, what it would be like to feel Prompto's lips on his own.

By then, he wasn't even surprised that his mind ventured into this kind of territory. With as much alcohol in his system as he had had, he could even allow himself to let the image go as far as to imagine the kiss he had only witnessed afterwards on tape in all its glory. 

But what it would feel like in reality?

If he went over and kissed Prompto now, would he still remember it the following day? Or would he forget about it again because the alcohol would erase his memory? Noctis didn't want that, but for some reason, he thought that the situation was different now. He had slept enough the night before, he was still in control of his entire body and his belly was full with good, greasy Galahdian style meat.

Yes, Noctis was prepared to try something and with how his mind kept supplying him ghostly memories of how soft and warm Prompto's lips were. Once again, he wished that he was the metal mesh of the microphone and realized with a start that they were sharing an indirect kiss right now, because Noctis had been singing like that just before.

On the other hand, Nyx had done so as well and thinking that they were now sharing a three-way indirect kiss was somehow... not really helping the case.

Noctis was so lost in his thoughts that he missed how Prompto ended his song and Gladio took over from him. His shield started to sing one of his favorite songs from three, four decades ago, a time that he hadn't experienced, but liked the movies of. His voice didn't quite match the original, but it was amusing enough for Noctis to giggle and chuckle.

" _Slave to love~_ " Gladio sang in his really weird falsetto and Noctis had to hold back his laughter.

Prompto came to sit down next to him and downed another bottle of beer to hydrate his throat again.

"Good work up there," Noctis commented, bumping his knee into Prompto's.

"You think so? Thanks," the blond grinned and wiped some sweat off his forehead. It made him shine and glisten in the light of the fairy lights Iris had hung everywhere earlier. More than once Noctis had found his gaze captivated by the blond already and he was happy that they now had time to talk after all.

"Yeah, to think you've been so shy the first time you came up here, it's amazing. You're amazing," Noctis praised, the words coming a little faster and more heartfelt than he wanted them to. But they were the truth and Prompto deserved to know the truth.

In return, the blond smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck. "Man, you have no idea how much I practiced for this... every day in the shower, while I was drawing... every time. Just so I'd be prepared for today."

"No, really! It's amazing! I'm sure you can do anything if you just set your mind on it," Noctis beamed, putting his hand on Prompto's shoulder and leaving it there. Conveniently.

"Thanks... Means quite a lot coming from you and... well. Since you taught me most of it," Prompto replied with another sheepish smile that Noctis found adorable.

Gladio ended his song and Nyx all but kicked him aside to turn up the volume of the TV as they announced the winners of this year's singing contest before they would start the countdown to the new year.

Luna's team won by a landslide and Nyx cheered for here while Noctis stayed in the background this time. Sure, he was happy for Luna, but there was something more important that he wanted to do.

"Hey Prom," he said, letting his hand slide from the blond's shoulder down his arm to take his hand into his. He felt a shudder going through his body, violet blue eyes staring down at their hands when Noctis laced their fingers together.

"Hm?" Prompto asked after a moment, looking up curiously, his pupils blown a little wider than usual. Noctis thought it was from the alcohol, even though he hoped that it was from his shy touch.

"I... I'm sorry... about the... The kiss," Noctis started hesitantly, just to feel excited when Prompto's shoulders slumped in what he hoped was disappointment.

"It was nothing, really. I mean, it can't have been that great because you can't even remember it," Prompto sighed, shrugging one of his shoulders as he pulled his hand away.

"Yeah, that's... that's the problem. I'm sorry that I don't remember it," Noctis sighed deeply, shifting so that he faced Prompto directly. "I want to though."

"Yeah? What do you plan to do then? Kiss me again?" Prompto asked and Noctis could see him square his shoulders in a stance that almost looked like he was going to fight him.

Shaking his head, Noctis said shyly, "No. I want you to show me."

Surprise was written all over Prompto's face. "Show you? How...?"

"Well. I took you by surprise when I kissed you, and while I know that you won't surprise me if I tell you to do it, it's only fair if you do it, right?" Noctis argued, trying his best to sound like his usual cool, aloof self while his heart beat way too fast and the butterflies in his stomach went havoc. He just hoped that his logic wasn't too warped for Prompto to understand what he wanted him to do.

"...Okay," Prompto replied, a little too quickly for Noctis to not be surprised by it.

"Really?" he gasped, unconsciously straightening his back in anticipation.

"Yeah, it's only fair, just like you said. I'm the only of the two of us to remember and it's probably easier to show you than to describe it," Prompto argued and Noctis couldn't help but be surprised by this sound logic. "It won't be anything new for me, but you'll get to experience the real thing instead of watching it on video or whatever you've been doing to remember it."

On TV, the announcer said that the clock was nearing midnight with just five more minutes to go, so they would start one more song until they were ready for the final countdown.

"Yeah," Noctis replied dumbly, too excited to come up with something more eloquent. 

Prompto straightened next to him, glancing to the side where everyone else was getting ready for the last minutes of M.E. 761. They didn't look like they would spare them any glances in the next few moments, so he turned back and took a deep breath as he squared his shoulders.

"Brace yourself," he warned as he exhaled a little and looked straight into Noctis' eyes.

The prince nodded, instinctively squaring his own shoulders. The butterflies in his stomach were still going wild and he couldn't quite wait for it to happen. 

"Should I close my eyes?" he asked suddenly, because that's what the kisses on TV always looked like. And he couldn't remember what he had done the last he had kissed someone before Prompto.

"Um... do as you like?" Prompto said, licking his lips in both anticipation and nervousness.

"O-okay," Noctis said and closed his eyes, just to frown a second later. "It feels weird..."

"Then open them again? Seriously, I don't mind either way," Prompto replied, stretching his neck left and right as he tried to loosen up. Noctis worried his own lip as he watched the other move nervously.

"O-okay... Do you want me to put my hands anywhere special?" Noctis asked again, because he couldn't just sit there motionless, could he? Sure, Prompto didn't have much choice back when he had kissed him, but he _had_ to be doing something with hands, right? He couldn't just keep them at his side like they were, right?

"Whatever you like," Prompto shrugged and took another deep breath squaring his shoulders again.

"Alright," Noctis breathed, then worried his lips. Was he really supposed to just sit there like that and do nothing while Prompto kissed him? Wasn't that... _unfair_?

On the other hand, Prompto hadn't been able to move much either, right? So, this was only fair after all.

Noctis opened his mouth to say something again, but before a word could slip past his lips, Prompto put his hands on either side of this face and Noctis couldn't help but think that this really looked like what he had done back in Lestallum.

He only got a split-second warning afterwards before Prompto leaned in and pulled him in that little bit of distance between them and pressed their lips together. Noctis' eyes widened in surprise as the butterflies in his stomach seemed to explode, and he couldn't help but notice just how soft Prompto's lips were, even though they were just a little dry from all the singing earlier. Also, he couldn't help but notice that the blond's eyes were closed behind his glasses with a tiny crease between his brows in deep concentration. This up close Noctis noticed just how old Prompto's glasses were and even more freckles than usual on the blond's face, even though they had been fading out for the winter.

Once he realized that he was getting too distracted by those cute freckles, Noctis decided that it would be better to close his eyes after all.

Suddenly, all sensations seemed to multiply, the softness of Prompto's lips on his, his calloused hands on Noctis' cheeks, the soft strands in his face that tickled the prince's nose as he moved a little closer, just to start moving his lips gently, carefully.

A new jolt sent the butterflies in Noctis' stomach soaring again, and he almost gasped, but then decided it would be cooler to just return the movement. Hesitantly he moved his lips, afraid to be doing something wrong, but Prompto kept holding him in place as he kept moving his lips.

Flashbacks hit Noctis' memory, of the girls he had kissed, the ones Ignis said it would be nice to go out with before Monsters of the Deep had really started off. They had been more forceful, less gentle and usually just pushed their tongues past his lips, eager to please.

But Prompto was careful and took his time, showed Noctis that kisses could be slow as well, and somehow Noctis doubted that this was how he had kissed Prompto back then on stage. It certainly didn't feel this long.

Slowly, Noctis raised his own hands to Prompto's face, holding him in place as he started enjoying the kiss. The prince let his instincts take over, his lips dancing together with Prompto's in a slow crescendo. Goosebumps rose on his scalp, little jolts of electricity making him shiver every time their lips brushed against each other.

He let himself go with the flow, let Prompto lead him through this as his fingers wandered up into blond hair and kept the other in place. The painter's hands moved from his cheeks into his hair as well, held him close as a little moan fell from his lips and Noctis couldn't quite say whether it was his or Prompto's after all. 

All he knew was that one breath later, he poked out his tongue and licked over the seam of the blond's lip, just to get an eager reply in return. Still careful and soft, nothing like the forceful kisses that he had experienced before, yet unmistakably Prompto. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest as they kept kissing, completely forgetting the world around them, the other, the countdown, everything.

As their kiss deepened, _everything_ felt like fireworks and cheers and Noctis never wanted this feeling to stop. He ran his hand through Prompto's hair as their tongues danced shyly and it didn't feel awkward or bad in any way, not like it had when he had kissed those girls.

Still, he shied away from using his tongue too much altogether, still scared it might become too much for him to handle. Prompto seemed to respect that and just let their lips move against each other afterwards, but that didn't help the way Noctis' body was reacting to it at all.

He could feel something stirring in the pit of his stomach, not unlike the sensation he felt back when his mind had supplied him with pictures of Prompto naked in the shower after seeing his wet and used towel, but this was completely different. Instead of just an urge to get over the situation as quickly and cleanly as possible, this feeling seemed to spread slowly, warming him up from the inside until his whole body felt like it was live with electricity, to the very tips of his fingers.

It felt like an eternity had passed when they finally broke apart, flushed and out of breath. Noctis' lips were still tingling while he gasped for breath and his hands were still in the blond's hair. Only when Prompto leaned back and pulled away from Noctis did the prince do the same, keeping his hands to himself again.

Silence passed between them while the world around them celebrated the new year.

Noctis searched Prompto's eyes, wishing that he was more sober then. He still didn't feel like he would forget about this, but it was a little harder to read the fine nuances in Prompto's expression, to find out what he was thinking. He looked shy, but Noctis was sure that he saw hope in his eyes, but also fear that this was the end of it. Whatever _it_ was between them.

"Prompto, I-" Noctis started, but before anything else could get past his lips, Gladio threw his arm around them and pulled them up.

"Stop being party poopers! We've got some confetti for you guys to blow and what are you doing? Keeping to yourselves? So not fair!" the large man grinned and pulled them over to where Libertus and Nyx were celebrating with beers in their hands, singing the Galahdian anthem.

Noctis thought it was silly, but he was still too high from the kiss to stop them. In fact, he was so happy that he joined them, smiling at Prompto who joined in as well.

It was the best New Years party ever. Noctis could only hope that next year would be just as good, but with how things between him and Prompto were going, he was sure that everything would be fine.

~*~

About one hour later, Prompto excused himself and left, saying that he had to work the next day. Noctis didn't think much about it, just said goodbye with a dreamy expression and waved his hand as he watched the blond board the elevator down.

It was only when they started tidying up after themselves that he realized that he _still_ hadn't confessed or made his feelings clear. He just hoped that Prompto could read between the lines and would understand how he was feeling, even if he was too stupid to put his feelings into words when he needed to.

Somehow, it was much easier to write a vague song text about it rather than speak about these things clearly. But he knew that after saying things the way he did - insisting that they were friends for the past two years and a half - he needed to be even clearer about the fact that he wanted them to be more than friends after all.

~*~

To Noctis surprise, he was extremely busy throughout all of January. Be it new negotiations with Accordo about the passage of refugees to other parts of Lucis or just the fact that he needed to show his face at the new power plant opening in Lestallum, the most that Noctis managed was a text here and there.

However, it wasn't like Prompto did much to contact him. For some reason, the artist was just as busy, making himself scarce and after two weeks, Noctis was convinced that he had imagined the hope in those violet blue eyes. The kiss didn't mean anything and it was just that, two guys experimenting and now Prompto was having second thoughts because Noctis had kissed him again - with tongue! - and basically forced himself onto him _again_. First on stage in Lestallum, now in private and _intimately_ during their annual party.

By week three, Noctis was convinced that Prompto hated him.

Sure, he still got a text with Prompto's progress pictures on his work for Moon Sea every few days. Each one was amazing and Noctis never tired to tell him just that. Even though he knew that Prompto was embarrassed to hear the praise, Noctis was convinced that Prompto should hear every day just how amazing he was.

But they never talked about much else. It was like, whenever they were to talk about something more personal, one of them had to leave the conversation to do something else. Usually Prompto was the one who announced he had to go, but Noctis left just as many times, so he couldn't tell whether or not the other left on purpose or not.

He didn't want to think it was on purpose. He wasn't doing it on purpose.

But still, he hadn't told Prompto how he felt, so the artist probably thought he was just being an asshole about it. 

It was driving Noctis up the wall.

But he still had his last trump, the reservation at the fancy restaurant on top of the wall on Valentine's Day. He wanted to keep it simple between them, but this was a special occasion, so he asked Ignis to help him come up with a proper invitation.

Twenty tries later, Noctis had written the simplest invitation he could come up with.

* * *

Prompto blinked as he returned home from a round of grocery shopping, bags heavy with coffee, fruits and vegetables, and found a black envelope with golden embroidery poking out of the letter slot in his apartment's door.

He blinked, but fumbled the door open first before he did anything else so that he could set down the bags first in the kitchen. Then, he went back to the entrance and got the letter out.

Not only was it adorned in the Lucian royal colors, the cursive on it looked immaculate as well, which made Prompto think that it couldn't have been Noctis who wrote it. Also, why would he write a letter when they could just text?

Thinking that maybe the King remembered his name and face, Prompto opened the envelope with nervous fingers. Inside was black card with the same embroidery as the envelope, but there was a folded, simple white paper inside that read:

_Dear Prompto Argentum,_

_You are cordially invited to be my Valentine._

_If you agree, meet me at this address at 8pm._

_I will be waiting for you,  
     Noctis._

Prompto stared at the perfect black cursive, so very different from the scribbling that Noctis usually called his handwriting. Where his fast writing was hardly legible, this looked like it had been printed. Prompto turned the paper a few times, but he could see the way the pen had moved over the paper, a smudged comma at the end and the trademark way that Noctis wrote the capital N. It was still perfect, but still uniquely Noctis.

Closing his eyes, Prompto took a deep breath of the paper, smelling remnants of the old wooden ornaments in the Citadel and Noctis' unique smell of a gentle summer rain shower, the ocean, chrome and electricity as well as something that Prompto couldn't quite place yet, but he thought that it was a new cologne that Noctis was trying out.

With a sigh Prompto realized just how much he missed him.

It was too bad that he had pushed every commission back to the very last moment and all of them were due just before Valentine's Day; the beginning of February.

Never in his wildest dreams had Prompto thought that he would get an invitation for the holiest of all romantic holidays. 

Well, okay, after meeting Noctis on Christmas Day for a breathtaking view from the top of the Citadel he had kind of hoped to get a similar invitation for some other date, but not particularly on Valentine's Day itself.

He turned the letter around, trying to find a way to reply the invitation, but he found nothing. Just the address that he couldn't place at all. He had to look at the map on his phone to find out that it was just next to the wall, the marker of a new restaurant popping up right next to it.

Huh. Maybe that was the place that Noctis had talked about where he had been with Luna on their official Christmas date? The one with the amazing view where he wanted to take Prompto one day?

Well, Valentine's Day would be the perfect opportunity for such a spot, but would it be alright for them to be among all the couples?

He stared back at the words on the letter. 'Be my Valentine,' it said and Prompto couldn't help but feel his heart beat faster. Ever since their kiss at New Years, his mind had been wandering back to it, drawn to the memory of butterflies in his stomach like a moth to the flame. It had been exactly how he had imagined their first kiss to be and at the same time, it was _nothing_ like their first kiss. 

This one had been clumsy at first, but perfect as it progressed. There had even been tongue and as Prompto kept recalling it every night, his reaction to it didn't diminish at all. He was still as excited as he had been when it happened, his heart beating so fast that he was afraid it was going to jump out of his chest. He wished for nothing more than to be able to have a continuation of it, to share this kind of intimacy with Noctis in addition to everything else they had already done, like sharing a bed, hold hands and fall asleep on each other. He was still a little worried that Noctis didn't remember the kiss, but this letter had just proved the opposite to him.

Noctis still remembered it and he wanted more. After months of signalling that he was ready for more, Prompto finally got some definite signs in return. Sure, he could have asked first, but since Noctis had always emphasized just how good friends they were, he hadn't wanted to burst his bubble.

For what it was worth, Prompto thought that he was also ready to give his virginity to Noctis. He was aware that it would probably take a lot of time to get the other to be comfortable with the idea, but _he_ had been the one to start kissing with his tongue, so Prompto hoped that they could continue from there. He was definitely willing to find out what and however long it took to make Noctis comfortable enough with himself to take that last step with him.

He took one more sniff of the letter and sighed.

"Seems like I have a Valentine's Date," he said to himself with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now you may read [_Outsomnia: Next to Your Heartbeat_](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13981881) in preparation for the next week(s). :D


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this kind of recap chapter, but I'm sure that you will find it enlightening to know how Prompto was faring all this time. But we're getting to the big bang!
> 
> Once again, Banira's painting of The Kiss from last week: [here](http://makikoigami.tumblr.com/post/176237828366/layann-outsomnia-chapter-33-is-out).

After checking the address he had been given in his invitation twice, Prompto decided to wear his best clothes. Better be prepared for everything, especially since he had gotten a more or less official invitation from the Royal Court and he knew that Noctis would look absolutely stunning.

So, he exchanged his usual oversized long shirts with a brand new suit. An expensive, bespoke suit put quite a dent into his funds, but it was nothing worrisome, even on such a short notice as two weeks prior. He had enough commissions, Monsters of the Deep was getting pretty successful so he was paid generously every month. The tailor told him that he had good measurements, easy to work with and just needed a few adjustments here and there, but that his suit would be ready two days before Valentine's Day.

Since Noctis had reacted quite intensely to the purple of his lipstick, Prompto chose a suit that had almost the same color. It was dark blue, almost black, which made it even more expensive, but with the right angle, the fabric reflected the light in purple hues that went well with the color of his eyes. The pants were just tight enough to accentuate his legs and show off his butt, ending just high enough to put emphasis on his ankles and new shoes. He wore a white shirt underneath and a midnight blue thin tie and as he checked himself out in the mirror, he had to say that he had never looked... _more expensive_.

Sure, the color was a little bold and nothing he could ever see the Prince of Lucis or anyone in the Royal line of Lucis wearing, but he liked it. It was him and something fresh was always good, right?

Deciding that he looked good enough, Prompto also figured to try out his new contact lenses. He had gotten them for running, but also for being on stage and other activities where he would sweat a lot, making it slippery for the glasses on his nose. So far, he still preferred to wear glasses while he painted because they protected him from paint splashes, but if he was going on an official date with the Prince of Lucis, well, he might just step out of his comfort zone and dress for success.

Or something like that.

After half a year of openly pining and dropping hints to the point where he had a heart-to-heart about his strategy with Nyx while they were helping Luna with her new makeup brand, Noctis finally seemed to have gotten the hint. After what Luna had told him about the prince, he didn't want to push him too much, but he wanted to make his position clear and Nyx seemed to be very eager to help them sort things out.

So, Prompto had taken steps beyond the lines of friendship that he had set up for himself, but obviously, Noctis still thought of them as just friends. His last straw had been the purple lipstick from Luna's _Nyx_ line. Nyx' crude reaction had been a surprise to him though and his embarrassment had been real, but it seemed as if it was exactly the kind of wake-up call that the prince had needed.

After their gig, after the kiss on stage, Cidney had texted him with congratulations on finally getting together with Noct. He had to tell her, however, that nothing had changed and that Noctis had knocked himself out cold afterwards. What followed was an exchange of texts where his old friend told him about the conversation she had had with Noctis, how he had to clear up that they were not dating - _yet_. And then Prompto had to do the exact same thing again.

Once Cidney had understood that Noctis had simply been drunk and that he was generally a very affectionate drunk, she had texted him a sigh and then wished him all the luck for the future. They had continued to talk about their rock band friends and Cidney had sent him pictures of their performance - which apparently went really well - until she was too busy to reply once again.

Prompto hadn't thought too much about and had just gone back to what he liked doing whenever he was awake before Noctis and couldn't do much: Scribble down something quick and silly, like ideas for merchandise for Monsters of the Deep's next tour. He had had an idea for little angler fish stickers that went with the logo he had come up at the beginning, just that this time, he would make it look more like a comic character. He also had had an idea to make these into a sticker set for the messaging app system that most people in Lucis were using, but he needed to find out how to upload these images before he could voice the idea to Noct or the others.

He had been working on this idea on and off for a year now, but since it was pretty low priority, he only worked on it when he had nothing else to do, like when they were on tour and nothing was happening. Now that he had enough designs though, he had spent a few days in December to get these designs up and into the messenger's shop. Now, he just needed to finish them, but since it was a project he did just for fun, the priority he gave it was pretty low and it could wait until he and Noctis had sorted out that thing between them.

The line on the invitation had been pretty direct and clear - ' _be my Valentine_ ' - and with how the kiss on New Years had gone down Prompto didn't need to be an expert in dating to understand that the Prince of Lucis was asking him on an official date. It was like a dream come true and Prompto knew that many people in the world would be jealous, but to know that Noctis Lucis Caelum was pining after him _as well_ , boosted some of Prompto's confidence.

After the kiss in Lestallum and Noctis' reassurance that they were still friends, Prompto had almost given up hope. It was bad enough that they couldn't meet up for more than a month after that due to them both being busy, but when Prompto had gotten that call on Christmas Eve, he had half expected Noctis to say something right then and there, on the top of the Citadel. And if his father - the King, Regis Lucis Caelum! - hadn't walked in on them because he wanted to get to know his son's best friend better, Prompto was sure that he would have gotten his Christmas kiss.

Instead he got one for New Years. 

He hadn't kissed anyone ever since he had met Noctis. It had been over two years then since his last kiss, even before the one at Lestallum. To think that his next one would be a deliberate kiss with the prince that went past the stage of accidental and sweet, Prompto still couldn't believe that it had happened.

Noctis had been so insecure at the beginning, making Prompto worry that he was doing something wrong, so he took it exceptionally slow. But it seemed to be the right tactics, because Noctis responded by getting bolder returning the kiss. It had been nothing like the kiss he had pressed on Prompto's surprised mouth, but everything that Prompto had hoping it would be. Sure, he had hoped they could have taken it somewhere else, but as quickly as they had started adding tongue to the mix, Noctis started to shy away from it again. Prompto had been confused for a second, but the kiss was too good to let it go even without the addition of tongue, so he just kept on kissing as the sounds of celebrations faded to the background.

After a while, Prompto thought they might start making out on the spot as well. It might not even have been anything out of the ordinary, just the progression of how touchy and close they usually were. Eventually, they broke apart to gasp for breath and then, Prompto had been so sure that Noctis would say something, but Gladio had to come and interrupt him before he could he say anything at all.

After that, they didn't get another moment alone. They exchanged texts and calls just like they always did and Prompto feared that he had read too much into the whole thing, the kiss, the not-date and everything else Noctis usually did to him. 

But now with the official invitation Prompto decided to be his very best, dress up to the nines and expect just about anything. He made sure that his socks matched his underwear - yellow ones with Chocobo prints - even though he was sure that they wouldn't go as far on their first official date as to do more than kissing. It made him feel better though, not as stiff, even though the suit was probably the most comfortable item of formal clothing that he had ever owned.

When the day came, Prompto styled his hair, made sure that his skin looked flawless and put in his contact lenses before he left for the restaurant. He almost forgot his camera, too, but he remembered in the very last moment that Noctis had said something about a breathtaking view after his date with Luna. Since he had already asked him to take his camera the last time, Prompto expected something even better. Even if he couldn't imagine a better view than the one from the rooftop of the Citadel at sunset.

However, when he checked the weather forecast on his phone and looked out of the window, he doubted that he would be able to take any kinds of pictures. It was raining, the clouds hung low and Prompto wasn't even able to see past the next block of houses. So, he put the camera back and decided that his phone would be good enough and took his new umbrella with him. It was also yellow with a chocobo design and he loved it. In a place where everyone used see-through or dark colored umbrellas, Prompto liked that his umbrella brought some color into the gray, rainy days. Plus, above all, the chocobo on it was cute.

He decided to take a taxi instead of public transportation as he realized that the rain out there was really heavy and he would have to walk quite a bit from the nearest station to the address Noctis had given him. Well, apparently rich people didn't need to travel by train or bus; they all had fancy cars anyway. Just like Noctis and his Audi R8, which Prompto still couldn't fathom he had been allowed to ride in. 

Well, since Prompto just spent about the sum for a new car on this new suit, he thought that this was good enough for now and waited for his taxi outside the apartment complex.The rain wasn't great, but at least not so bad that Prompto feared to be drenched even with his umbrella.

The taxi came right on time and picked him up, driving all the way to the outskirts of Insomnia, past bigger, older apartment complexes than the one Prompto lived in now. Just next to behind those buildings was a power plant, which explained why only the poorest lived there. But in a city with space as limited as it was in Insomnia the only way to make space for everyone trying to come inside was to build houses higher and higher. These ones were definitely from around 40 years ago, when the war hadn't yet reached Insomnia, but was going on in all the outer territories. Even if they were younger, they looked just as run down as the first apartment Prompto remembered living in with his caretaker.

He didn't think it was bad at the time, but he was just a kid who didn't know better. Eventually they managed to move into a slightly bigger apartment as Prompto entered school, but when his caretaker died, he had been left on his own. Thanks to Insomnian welfare he managed to live in a few dormitories until he was able to earn enough money on his own to rent his own apartment. It wasn't big, but it was exactly what he wanted back then and still was right now, after more than five years. It didn't have a view like the one from the gazebo on top of the Citadel, but he could see enough of the bustling city to feel inspired almost every day.

A little closer to the wall, on top of the plateau that the New Wall was built upon, Prompto knew were quite a few parks, making it greener than most of the rest of the city. Right now, he couldn't see much though, because the rain made everything blurry and since the sun had set quite a while ago it was already too dark anyway.

What a rainy, dull Valentines' Day.

If not for the fact that Prompto had a date that he had been looking for for ages, he would have holed up in his apartment and even allowed himself some hot chocolate with marshmallows, hoping that the rain wouldn't turn into a thunderstorm.

Well, he also hoped that it wouldn't turn into a thunderstorm _now_. The forecast had only mentioned heavy rain, but it seemed as if it would turn into quite a downpour, as if Leviathan herself had decided to flood the streets. He hoped that whatever Noctis had planned could also be done indoors, since the photo opportunity had already been ruined.

The taxi dropped him off in front of a very modern looking building with a front that was made completely out of glass. Prompto winced when he stepped into a puddle after paying the driver and then hurried over to the foyer, sheltered only minimally by his umbrella. Inside, he was almost blinded by the polished marble floors, designed in black and white so that they had a kind of vintage look that reminded Prompto vaguely of the Citadel. It definitely had the high-class look that made him feel uncomfortable, despite the fact that he was more than best friends with the Prince of Lucis and despite the expensive suit that he was wearing.

He smiled insecurely at the person behind the counter, wondering if he should walk up to them and ask for the table that Noctis had made the reservation for, but he didn't know if he could do that. A guy like him, asking if the Prince of Lucis had made a reservation? 

His tummy made a funny flip and he decided to just avoid the confrontation and wait for Noctis to handle that for the both of them. Since it was almost the time Noctis had asked him to be there and the prince had never been late yet, Prompto decided to just wait outside of the lobby, pressed to the window front in hopes that the rain wouldn't be too bad. It was cold and uncomfortable, but nothing Prompto wasn't used to and nothing that he couldn't endure for a few minutes.

8 pm came and went and no Noctis in sight. The rain picked up on force just five minutes after 8, so Prompto pressed himself against the glass wall, hoping that it wouldn't get any worse than that. His shoes held up well, but after thirty minutes, he could feel the wetness starting to seep through the leather, and ten minutes later, he was shivering almost violently. Just when he started to consider going back inside the foyer, he saw a black car pulling up, going a little too fast.

Of course, the car splashed some water at Prompto, who just so managed to jump out of the shower, but it still got caught on his shoes. He sighed as he watched Ignis emerge from the driver's seat of the car, opening a black umbrella. Curiously, he watched the whole procedure of him holding an umbrella out for Noctis that he had seen so often on TV. It was still something else to see Noctis emerge from the car in all his princely glory. He was wearing a long black trench coat over his pinstripe suit, looking exhausted as he ran a hand through his carefully made hair, thus ruining it thoroughly.

With a start, Prompto realized that he was still wearing the same clothes that he had been wearing earlier in the day on his carefully crafted Valentine's date with Luna. In fact, he looked exhausted, exasperated almost, but so much better in person than he did on TV. Really, there was something about him where he looked weird from most angles on media and you needed to be really good - or lucky - to get his good side when you took a picture of him, Prompto mused as he watched Noctis move slowly, almost reluctantly out of the car. The prince looked up when Ignis said something to him, and he looked up with a dark expression.

It changed instantly when he spotted Prompto, with his dark violet suit and the bright yellow chocobo umbrella and his soaked shoes. His expression went from annoyance to surprise, then bashful, but Prompto couldn't help but notice his relief and happiness as well. 

Chuckling, Prompto raised his hand to wave shyly in greeting.

Noctis opened his mouth in surprise and then straightened before he hurried over, completely ignoring Ignis with the umbrella and the downpour, although Prompto was sure that he must have been drenched within seconds.

"Prom! Why... You didn't have to... How _long_ have you been standing here?" He said as he stood right in front of Prompto and the blond shifted his umbrella so that it covered the both of them.

"Well, I arrived shortly before 8 so... half an hour now?" Prompto said, toning down the actual time he had been waiting. Fifteen minutes were a good tolerance, right?

Noctis looked him up and down and Prompto couldn't help but notice how the prince's cheeks and the tips of his ears seemed to redden. He started to frown however when he saw just how drenched Prompto's shoes were by now.

"...Did you... Why... why didn't you... just go inside?" Noctis said and Prompto couldn't help the satisfaction he felt from that little stutter.

"Ah, I didn't know whether you reserved under the name of _Noct Gar_ or your real name, and you know, I kinda felt a little out of place in there," Prompto shrugged, giving Noctis a lopsided smile.

He wondered if it would be too much if he just leaned in and kissed those frowning lips.

"...But now you're drenched," Noctis said timidly before he heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry for making you wait. Everything... just took longer than expected."

"What he means to say is, there were some _reporters_ following him around at the end of his date with Luna and it took all of our expertise and knowledge of the city's roads to escape them," Ignis said softly, holding a second black umbrella over Noctis' back. "The detour took longer than expected though due to a water pipe break though."

"I'm... _really_ sorry, Prom, I didn't think you'd still be here," Noctis added, looking so much like a kicked puppy that Prompto had a hard time being mad at him at all.

"Well! As long as no one followed you, I think we're fine," Prompto smiled. "I'm just happy you turned up at all, I was going through all kinds of scenarios in my head that you hated me or were playing with me or something."

He meant it as a joke, but he wasn't prepared for how appalled Noctis looked all of a sudden.

"Of course I'd show up!" he insisted, and Prompto was instantly sorry for saying such a joke.

"His highness was worried about you. He kept moping in the backseat of the car, complaining about the weather, our lateness, you name it," Ignis said gently, provoking another pout from the prince.

Prompto couldn't help but chuckle, trying to mask his fast beating heart, because Noctis was so precious. Under that aloof shell, the cool mask that he usually wore as the prince, was the face of a young man who was still trying to find his place in this world and Prompto thought he was doing a great job at that. He was even happier that he could be a part of this.

"Don't you have to, I don't know, make a phone call about the broken water pipe or something?" Noctis all but snapped, making both Prompto and Ignis chuckle at is childishness.

"Very well. I shall be leaving you two alone. Noct, you might want to hurry getting inside and claim your table. I think that even the Prince of Lucis will lose a table if he's an hour late," Ignis nodded and stepped aside so that Prompto and Noctis could enter the foyer of the building.

"Yeah... thanks. I'll call you later," Noctis sighed and took one of the umbrellas Ignis was holding before he turned to Prompto. "Shall we go?"

"I was afraid you'd never ask," Prompto grinned and started walking. He made a face when his shoes made a squelching sound and shook them out just before they stepped inside.

"I'm really sorry for making you wait," Noctis said again with a wince. "Especially out there in the rain. Really, you could have waited here at least..."

The foyer was cozy and warm and Prompto was sure that his glasses would have fogged over had he worn them. He laughed sheepishly as he closed his umbrella and folded it up. "I really felt weird... and then I thought, 'I'm drenched already, I can't ruin the floor like that."

"You're... _really_ daft, you know that?" Noctis sighed, running a hand through his hair again. He stepped up to the receptionist and gave his name, his _real_ name, making Prompto's eyebrows shoot up. He felt himself blushing as he watched Noctis being all business-like about negotiating about the fact that they were too late.

"We secured your table, but I'm afraid that the kitchen will close at ten. Our courses usually take 90 minutes, so we will be hard-pressed to serve everything on time. If you want we could reschedule you?" the man offered, looking just a little afraid of the impeding royal wrath.

Noctis sighed, then frowned in a way that was almost a glare. 

Prompto decided to take the reins in that moment. "It's fine? I mean, I'm a fast eater, so I'm sure we can manage the course in, uh, 65 minutes. Or, well, 60. I-I mean, I don't want to insult anyone, but I've been looking forward to this for a while now, it would be a shame to let go all of this to waste."

Noctis watched him doubtingly, before he asked, "...are you sure? The view I wanted to show you won't be there and... your shoes are drenched and it's late... I'd understand if you'd rather go home."

"Yeah? I mean, I know all these things, but I've been really looking forward to this, no need to waste the opportunity," Prompto smiled, feeling his heart beat faster again and he didn't know if he was having a mild panic attack that Noctis was going to call this off or if he was just happy that Noctis was trying to be considerate. "And you know, the more time we waste discussing whether or not we're going, the less time we have for the course."

Noctis looked at him for a moment before his expression softened with little snort. "Very well. We'll take it. Once more apologies for being late."

"Understood. Please follow me," the man said and stepped to the side where the doors to an elevator going up were. After collecting their coats and umbrellas he pressed the button for them and waited until it dinged and then continued to hold the doors open for them, pressing the button for the topmost floor. In fact, there were only five buttons. Three on top and two for the lower floors.

"You will be led to your table. Thank you very much for dining with us tonight," he said after Prompto and Noctis had stepped into the elevator. 

The doors closed and the last thing Prompto saw was the man still bowing in front of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompto's suit is a mix of these three: <https://goo.gl/images/JjQyGT>, <https://goo.gl/images/XhXn4m>, <https://goo.gl/images/9xb8Eh>
> 
> Next chapter: Will Noctis finally confess? Or is he too angry to really say anything? Stay tuned!


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Against all odds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for bearing with us up until this point. Updates (like the post to tumblr, twitter and such) have been slow last week because it's too damn hot outside and I don't want to move, let alone turn on the computer and write.
> 
> That, however, means that I can progress with playing FFXV and I have FINALLY dared to cross the oceans to Altissia. As beautiful as the place is, the more I am disappointed with how little you can do there. Sure, the ride on the gondola is nice and the betting in the arena is a nice time killer, but for as beautiful as the place was sailing in, it's pretty boring because you can't eat anywhere, the shops only have things I already have and fishing items are fucking expensive. *SIGH*
> 
> Ah, I'm sorry for rambling, please continue reading. :)
> 
> Have [Prompto in his suit from chapter 34](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/176705245351) from Banira! He looks so gorgeous <3!

Noctis felt terrible.

Not only had his date with Luna been a disaster because he hadn't been able to think about anything but his later date with Prompto, but also because of the news and worries Luna had shared with him. Coupled with the fact that they had been chased by paparazzi after their date was already over Noctis had seriously considered postponing this date. No matter how much he wanted to ask Prompto if he wanted to try going out with him, his day was absolutely ruined and he didn't think it could get better in any way.

Until he saw the blond standing there in a perfectly fitted suit, bringing the sunshine back with just a simple crooked smile.

Noctis' mind was still reeling over how good Prompto looked in formal clothing when he got the next bad news: His reservation was still in place even though they were royally late, but they would have to hurry with their meal, which would leave no time for the heart-to-heart talk that Noctis had been looking forward to ever since Christmas, when he had made this reservation.

He just wanted to go home.

How could a day, one that he had been looking forward to for two months now, get so completely ruined by _everything_. The weather, the news and all other circumstances?

Ignis had reassured him that everything would be fine eventually, that he should focus on what was important. Still, Noctis couldn't help but think about how the Gods seemed to be campaigning against him in every possible way with bad weather and paparazzi thought they could just follow him _everywhere_.

As if they didn't want him to be happy and take a step forward into a real relationship.

Maybe it was a sign. Maybe he shouldn't try dating.

The first time Ignis had tried to nudge him towards it had been boring and eventually ended in a personal disaster, and now that he wanted to try it on his own, the universe seemed to be against him, too. Maybe he really shouldn't even give it a try.

He glanced over to Prompto in his dark blue-violet suit - that he was sure had the same color as the lipstick he had worn in Lestallum - and decided that he would rather try than do nothing, because damn, Prompto was worth everything. If it didn't work out, he could still decide to continue life as a bachelor after this last attempt.

"How was your date with Luna?" Prompto asked after a few moments of their elevator ride. Noctis knew that he just wanted to make conversation, but he didn't really want to be reminded.

"It was... nice. Well, except for the rain and the paparazzi and... the rest," Noctis sighed, running a hand through his hair again, trying to untangle what copious amounts of hair gel managed to keep in order for a whole day.

"The rest?" Prompto echoed, turning his head enough to the side so that could look directly at Noctis, even though the prince still avoided looking too long at the blond so that he didn't forget whatever he wanted to say.

"Yeah... I'll tell you later, okay?" Noctis replied, glancing up to the surveillance camera, knowing that wherever he went, the walls had ears and he shouldn't talk about classified information in places like these, elevators where every word could be easily recorded. No, this was something for a more private environment or around many other people who would talk over each other, creating enough ambient noises to mask their conversation.

"That bad, huh?" Prompto said sympathetically.

"Worse," Noctis sighed before the two of them fell silent again for the rest of the elevator ride.

Once they arrived at the top, another clerk welcomed them before he led them to a table. Noctis noticed that it wasn't the same table that he and Luna had gotten, but one closer to the windows, where they would have been able to look over the ocean and watch the moonrise and the stars in the sky. If they had been able to see the sky. Or just anything past the windows.

Noctis pouted at the rain that was still falling onto the platform where he had wanted to talk to Prompto about their future relationship. Now, that fell through almost literally.

"We'll be serving the starters as soon as possible. What would you like to drink?" The waiter asked after Prompto had sat down as well.

"Please bring us some wine... that goes with everything," Noctis ordered after looking over to Prompto to get his approval for the wine. The blond just nodded, looking at him rather curiously. Expectantly almost.

"Understood. Please enjoy your stay," the waiter said and left again.

Noctis heaved a sigh and closed his eyes, trying to calm down. No matter how alarming Luna's news had been, he shouldn't let that cloud his experience right now.

* * *

Prompto kept calm, but he watched Noctis curiously. Whatever news he had heard must have been really troubling if he was still thinking about it now. For his part, Prompto was completely baffled by the place. He had had a hard time in the foyer already and the elevator had been just as sleek and pretty, reminding him of the elevator ride in the Citadel. The restaurant upstairs was dominated by the large glass fronts, just like the foyer, but up here, Prompto would have been able to see the ocean and the desert of Leide, if only the weather had been better. Maybe he would have been able to see Duscae as well, but alas, the only thing he could see right then was rain and clouds. Everything looked grey, illuminated only by the lanterns of the restaurant. 

There was a platform, too, and Prompto was sure that they would have been able to see the stars from there. He couldn't think of a more romantic place to get confessed to and to think that Noctis had been considerate enough to take him there excited him to the point where nothing could put a damper on his mood. He didn't mind the weather, since this wasn't about some kind of photo opportunity. This was about their future and he couldn't help but feel giddy.

Noctis opened his eyes again and Prompto smiled at him, biting his tongue so that he didn't say "welcome back" or something.

Instead he said, "Thank you for taking me here. This place is beautiful."

Noctis pulled a face and replied, "It's even prettier when it's not raining. I'm sorry the weather is so bad."

"Don't apologize for the weather, it's nothing you can control," Prompto soothed and tried to loosen the tension with a joke. "Unless you can, just like tabloids like to say."

Noctis snorted. "Do you really think the weather would be like this if I could control it?"

"You tell me," Prompto gave back with a teasing smile, which obviously took Noctis aback and Prompto thought that he saw some pink dusting his cheeks. Before the prince could say anything though, two waiters came and brought their starters and the wine.

Prompto didn't really pay attention to all the complicated words that the waiters used to describe the food, and he didn't understand what 'grey wine' meant either. To him, it looked pretty much like white wine when the waiter poured it and he didn't think he needed to remember much of it.

Noctis, however, didn't look too happy with the dish that they had been served. If Prompto had deciphered the words correctly, they would be eating some kind of seafood, but it sounded like something vegetable as well. Not that he minded, but Noctis kept poking it with the little fork as if it had personally insulted him.

Prompto tried it, just to be pleasantly surprise by the buttery and salty taste.

"I don't think I'd ever try... whatever this is... on my own, but it tastes good," Prompto said, trying to keep a light conversation going. It usually helped Noctis relax enough to talk about what was on his mind and Prompto hoped that it would be the case now as well. "I think it's fish?"

"It's abalone... like, an underwater snail," Noctis explained and sighed, wrinkling his nose.

"...You don't like them," Prompto noted, because that much was obvious from how Noctis kept pushing the meat around.

"It... It's okay like this, but... when I was a kid, we once got it served, like, fresh onto the grill from the ocean and when they took it from the grill... it still moved. Never managed to touch one again." Noctis heaved another sigh, before he gave up and put the fork onto the plate.

Eyes growing big, Prompto couldn't help but chuckle as he imagined what Noctis had just described.

"Well, good thing that this here is fully dead and sliced, looking nothing like the real thing anymore, huh?" Prompto grinned and reached over to help himself to Noctis' share of food.

"What... what are you doing?" the prince asked, looking completely flabbergasted as Prompto picked up a slice and put it into his mouth.

"Eating your share? I offered and you didn't say no. Not like I can see food going to waste, especially something this expensive," Prompto chuckled and picked up another piece. As he chewed carefully, he looked left and right, checking if anyone was looking at them condescendingly for his not-so-royal behavior. Luckily, no one was even looking towards their direction, so Prompto just enjoyed his shared food.

"Seriously," Noctis said under his breath, but there was also a chuckle as his features softened and he kept watching Prompto enjoying himself.

The blond finished just in time for the next course. This time, _four_ waiters came, one to take away their old plates, one to serve them new glasses of wine and two for their new dishes. Prompto's eyes widened when he saw that it was a very dark green soup. He looked up and was impressed by Noctis' poker face, that only fell when the waiters had explained the dishes and left.

"Really, peas and gysahl greens?" the prince groaned and Prompto couldn't stop his chuckle.

"The greenest of the greens," he teased and picked up the spoon in midst of the row of knives. Idly he wondered if he would need the fork on the other side as well, but a quick count confirmed that there were a matching number of forks and knives left on either side. He took a bite and looked surprised at the taste.

"It's spicy!" 

Which made the dish a hundred times better in his opinion. However, Noctis looked even less happy about it and Prompto made a mental note to never get the prince anything too spicy. Too bad, because he really like his curry on the hot side.

"...I'd offer you mine as well," Noctis said with a pout and Prompto chuckled. "But, I don't know if we'll have enough time for you to eat both." He heaved a heavy sigh as Prompto continued to spoon up more soup.

"Well, I can try, but I really don't think I can stomach two people's portions of everything," Prompto chuckled and stuck out his tongue with a wink.

Noctis blushed, but then his eyes widened and he looked to the side, biting his lips.

"What," Prompto demanded, tilting his head in confusion.

Still looking as if he was trying to hold back his laughter while trying to keep his face as straight as possible, Noctis opened his mouth and pointed to his own tongue. "Your tongue... it's green."

"Huh? Is it now?" Prompto asked, sticking out his tongue and going cross-eyed in an attempt to see his own tongue.

"Dude, stop, you're never going to see it like this," Noctis said, unable to hold back his chuckles anymore.

"Can too," Prompto protested and tried to stick out his tongue more, moving it around so that he could see it better. He wiggled it and tilted his head back, but it seemed as if Noctis was going to remain right about this little fact.

"Stop it," Noctis chuckled. "You look like a Chocobo trying to look at its own beak!"

"No way, I wanna see what it looks like. You better show me!"

Prompto didn't really expect Noctis to give in to his teasing and something told him that if Ignis saw the prince's next move, he would have a heart attack on the spot. 

"Fine!" Noctis snorted, dunked his spoon into the soup and ate a spoonful of that really dark green liquid. He made a face puffing out his cheeks as he swished the liquid around and then wrinkled his nose in disgust after he had swallowed visibly.

Only then did he stick out his tongue and if Prompto hadn't been baffled by the whole thing, his mouth would have snapped open at that. But Noctis was right; his tongue was covered in the particles of the soup, dyeing it dark green.

"No way... is my tongue really that dark?" the blond gasped, trying to catch a glimpse of his tongue again.

This time, Noctis laughed and stuck out his tongue again. "What, you don't believe me? You've got the evidence right here!"

"Your tongue might be different than mine!" Prompto insisted, just to remember the brief moment that he had felt the other's tongue on his during their last kiss.

"Why should my tongue be different?" Noctis snorted, obviously not yet catching on to the fact that they both knew exactly what the other's tongue was like.

Somehow, Prompto was a little jealous of that. Mostly because he couldn't wait to do it again and if this was a date, then it meant chances were good that he would get another kiss out of this. 

They fell in companionable silence again. It felt less tense than before and Prompto was sure that he had managed to lighten up Noctis' mood considerably. His shoes also didn't feel that wet and cold anymore.

"You've finally smiled," Prompto noted as he continued to spoon up his soup.

* * *

"Did I?" Noctis asked, unable to hide his surprise. He could have sworn that he had smiled the moment he had laid eyes on Prompto in his perfect suit. It looked so good on him, making his legs somehow longer than usual, accentuating the best parts of his body. Prompto didn't look like a lanky artist straight from college anymore, but like a... A movie star.

And here he was, moping because the world obviously loved to see him suffer.

"Sorry for ruining this..." he murmured as he ran the spoon through his soup, considering to eat another spoonful. It hadn't tasted _that_ bad, but Noctis still didn't think that food should be green. Or that you should eat slugs.

He felt as if on top of everything that had happened today, this restaurant had decided to make every dish that he absolutely loathed. How was he supposed to make a happy face to that?

At least Prompto didn't seem to let that spoil his mood. He even tried - and managed! - to cheer him up and if that wasn't what Noctis was looking for in a partner, he didn't know what.

But Ramuh didn't seem to be on his side either. Or was it Leviathan? Rain and thunder was usually Ramuh's department, but with the amount of water that had been raining down on them, Noctis was pretty sure that Leviathan had her hands in this as well.

And she seemed to hate him.

His perfect plan to confess officially in front of the stars of Eos had gone to waste thanks to bad weather. And now dinner was ruined as well, which was also his fault. Prompto deserved someone better than him, someone who could make him smile just as much as the blond made everyone else around him. 

"The night's still young," Prompto said with a soft smile and Noctis gaze got caught on the blond's lips again. They weren't dark purple, maybe a little green from the soup, but they still looked so very soft and Noctis suddenly felt like kissing them again.

"Wait!" Prompto interrupted his train of thought before it could go anywhere embarrassing. " _This isn't the last course_ , is it?"

Noctis had to laugh again at Prompto's excessive delivery of the last line. "No, it isn't... There are still three or five more after this. Which is pretty tight for an hour."

"Well, then we gotta hurry with this one, right?" Prompto nodded and finished his soup soon after.

The moment Noctis also put his spoon down, the waiters came and exchanged their plates again.

At least this time they were served some steak and Noctis was pleased to learn that it was just the finest Garula meat. Finally he could eat something! 

His mood improved with every bite and he finally managed to join the conversation and talk to Prompto about his date with Luna. He saved the bad news for after dessert, but just telling the other about all the shit people had tried to push at them was freeing. He did have a bad conscience that he was complaining all the time, but Prompto didn't look like he was bored or angry. In fact, he still looked happy and excited, like the ray of sunshine that Noctis needed in his life. Needless to say, Noctis felt a big relief over this and it managed to lighten up his own mood.

The dessert came and at least it was some kind of chocolate explosion in Noctis' mouth with red berries and he couldn't be happier. He slumped in his chair as he licked the gooey goodness from his little fork, just to notice that they had about 5 minutes left. Idly he wondered if they would throw them out, like, would they even dare doing that when he was the prince?

The answer was delivered to him with the bill for their meal. He wasn't even finished with his dessert.

He sighed and ignored the small leather binder next to him, but he could see Prompto trying to eye it. He did his best to keep ignoring the binder _and_ the waiters that were basically hovering behind them, trying to subtly make them get up and go.

* * *

Prompto felt like they were one bite away from getting a very polite kick in the ass. His leg started jiggling and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop it. He had finished his dessert portion and was one sip away from finishing his wine as well and waited only for Noctis' clue -for them to get up and go.

He did his best to signal that he was ready, that he wanted to go, because this place was obviously not the right place for any kind of talk. There were waiters around them and Noctis didn't look like he could relax enough to talk freely. Prompto had thought that they were almost at the point, but then that waiter had to bring what he assumed was the bill and well. If anything warranted as a sign to wrap things up, Prompto didn't know what did.

It felt like ages that Noctis finally sighed and asked if they wanted to leave.

"Sure," Prompto smiled, his heart skipping a beat because he hoped that they would finally get to the part where they could start kissing each other. Just after the little hurdle of Noctis finally confessing to him.

Really, it should be a no brainer that this was going to happen. With the invitation and everything that had happened in the past year or so, it was only a matter of time and definitely the only reason why Noctis would take him to such a high-class restaurant.

He waited patiently until Noctis had paid at the entrance with a brisk signing of the bill and then they were back at the elevator. Prompto enjoyed the ride down. He liked the design, everything looked just so classy and regal, like a new interpretation of the design of the Citadel. Noctis must feel right at home here.

Glancing over, he saw that Noctis was busy texting someone on his phone. Prompto assumed that he was telling Ignis to come and pick them up, so he didn't bother to ask about it. He just watched the numbers change on their way down, tapping a finger against his thigh with the rhythm of the music in the elevator.

They arrived at the bottom where the man from the reception waited for them with their coats and umbrellas. Prompto looked at him baffled for a second, because it looked like he hadn't moved an inch from before, but he took his coat and chocobo umbrella without saying anything about that. He just thanked the man, because he was just doing his job, no matter how bad everything had been.

Noctis just heaved another sigh as he shrugged on his coat.

"Do you want to wait in the lobby this time? Ignis said he'll be here shortly," he said as he glanced over his shoulder.

"Nah, outside is actually pretty nice," Prompto replied, readying his umbrella for both of them.

"If you say so..." Noctis huffed and followed Prompto back to the spot where the blond had waited before. Together, they watched the rain for a moment, and Prompto almost got lost in the rhythm of the pitter patter of the drops, until Noctis heaved another heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry," he said, making Prompto turn around and look at the profile of the prince. He had his eyes close, but opened them a moment later to look at the blond with such a pitiful express that Prompto just wanted to kiss his worries away.

"What for?" he asked nevertheless, because they still hadn't cleared up that issue between them.

"For ruining the date," Noctis said and Prompto could see his shoulders slump.

He, however, felt his heart skip another beat and he smiled, because it was the first time that either of them had called this a date today.

He smiled and reached out his hand, entwining their fingers by starting with their pinkies and then the rest of their hands.

"That's all you want to say?" he teased, just as Noctis squeezed his hand with another sigh.

"I had this all planned out! It was perfect, the view would have been amazing, the food, you'd have loved that and we could have talked about... about video games or whatever, but instead we just kept silent, I kept brooding and why the fuck is it still raining?" Noctis whined, glaring up at the dark and grey sky. "I don't even care that they only made stuff I don't like, but... after all _this_ , I don't think I ever want to come back here. I'd only get reminded of how I ruined this date!"

Prompto chuckled and shook his head. "That's what you wanted to say?" he prodded, because nothing that Noctis had said sounded _anything_ like his invitation letter.

Noctis looked at him like a kicked puppy. He worried his lip before he huffed a breath and said meekly, "...I wanted this to be perfect. I wanted this to be the best date you could imagine, because... because Luna and I go on these _amazing_ dates all the time to impress every the people and I know I can do this right. But it seems like, when it comes to the real thing, I completely fuck up-"

At this, Prompto had enough and he leaned forward, tugging Noctis towards him as well, pressing their lips together. The prince's eyes widened and he stiffened in his surprise, just to relax a moment later.

Prompto pulled away a second later and smiled. "I don't need a knight in shining armor... or a prince who takes me on the most amazing dates."

Noctis' face was still red and flushed up to the tips of his ears and he closed his mouth after a few heartbeats, just to snort in amusement. For not wanting a knight in shining armor, Prompto did dress up to impress one after all.

"...I... I like you... A lot... Do you want to go out with me?" Noctis asked utterly defeated.

"Thought you'd never ask," Prompto smiled and leaned in again to steal another kiss. "Yes. I want to go out with you, because I like you a lot, too."

"Oh, thank the Six," Noctis sighed and melted against his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ISN'T IT GREAT? NOCTIS FINALLY MANAGED TO SAY IT! PROGRESS, YAY!
> 
> Lo and behold, this is where plot is starting to trickle in.
> 
> A small heads up: Promptis NSFW Week is going to start soon (Noctis' birthday) and Banira and I are already protting out what we want to do for these days and MIGHT be distracted by that. Apologies if the next chapter is also late.
> 
> ~~ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT NOTE:~~  
>  ~~Since I've seen it on another story, I thought about making a discord for this story. You might get to ask some spoiler-y questions (and get answers, too), see the art collected in one place and, in the end, have a place to hang out.~~  
>  ~~The question is: Do you want that? Please vote[here](https://twitter.com/makikoigami/status/1025400653773000704) on twitter. It'll end today though.~~  
>  People voted for the Discord server, so [here](https://discord.gg/PAqXGrn) it is!


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two dorks flirting. But let them be, it's their first time being this happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! They are dating now! Congratulations! :D  
> But what is this? The story isn't over?  
> Yes! There's story that's going to happen. ;D  
> Not much here yet.

Ignis found them kissing under Prompto's chocobo umbrella without a care in the world. 

How he managed to hold it up was was beyond Prompto because Noctis' lips on his felt great and they were slowly getting the hang of how to breathe and kiss for a long time without bumping their noses together constantly. He didn't hear anything but Noctis' soft breathing, accentuated by little pants and gasps that made him want more than just their lips moving against each other.

But he respected Noctis and his boundaries and thus silently agreed to take it slow. Well, as slow as he could bear to take it, because he wasn't sure how long he would be able to take all of this without touching Noctis further than this.

Just as he was about to thread his fingers into the prince's hair, Ignis cleared his throat, startling both men. Prompto pulled away, keeping his hand entwined with Noctis' and realized that the hand he wanted to put into Noctis' hair was the one that he held the umbrella with.

_Oops._

"H-hey Ignis," he greeted the bespectacled man, who was also holding up a black umbrella that was putting a shadow over his face so that Prompto couldn't really see his expression.

"I see that the date was a success," Ignis deadpanned and Prompto could feel Noctis tense because he gripped his hand tighter. They looked at each other and blushed, because Prompto was pretty sure that by how his lips were tingling, they were at least as flushed and swollen from the kiss as Noctis' looked like.

"Y-yeah... I-I mean, at least _this_ part," Noctis replied, pink dusting his cheeks as he raised their joined hands. "The rest was a disaster. Can we get into the car though? It's still raining..."

"Of course," Ignis nodded and stepped aside to lead Noctis and Prompto to the backseat of the sleek black car. "Prompto, let me guess. He was moping around all evening... It's pretty early, too. I didn't expect you to be finished before 11pm?"

"Yeah, they kind of kicked us out because the kitchen closed or something," Noctis sighed and let go of Prompto's hand for a moment to climb into the car. "This place has such a great view but... I'm not sure I like the food..."

"Too many greens?" Ignis inquired after he made his way back behind the steering wheel.

"Too many greens," Prompto confirmed with a chuckle as he strapped himself in. "I helped him with half of it and he even tried the gysahl soup, so it wasn't that bad actually."

"Did he now? That's quite impressive, Prompto," Ignis smirked through the rear view mirror before he took off onto the road.

"Are you ganging up on me?" Noctis asked, seeking out Prompto's hand again. The painter's heart skipped a beat and he couldn't stop grinning as they kept holding hands throughout the continuing ride.

"Wouldn't think of it," Prompto quipped and squeezed his hand. He remembered that Noctis had wanted to talk to him about something that had obviously been too confidential for a public restaurant, but he guessed it would be fine in the confines of this car. "What is this other thing you wanted to talk about?"

"Hm?" Noctis asked, glancing over with a dopey grin.

"The 'bad news', remember?" Prompto hummed, and looked up to see Ignis give him a very curious look through the rearview mirror before he shot Noctis an even more inquiring one. The blond glanced over to his new _boyfriend_ and watched him frown a little.

But, oh _damn_ , did it feel good to call Noctis his boyfriend!

"Yeah... The bad news..." Noctis started and then heaved another sigh and Prompto squeezed his hand again. "We've gotten intel from... our secret service that Niflheim's army has been growing and upgrading their machines in secret. So far we have thought that it was just... little groups of militants, but Luna has been telling me that people at the borders of Tenebrae have seen large machines move in the cover of the night. Of course, we've been preparing our own forces to be on standby, but if what Luna said turns out to be true... I'm not sure if it's enough." He huffed out another sigh before he looked at Ignis. "Have you talked to dad yet?"

"I did. His Majesty is not amused, but he says not to worry. We shall double our own reinforcements and be prepared, but as long as there has been no overt threat, we should not scare the public," Ignis said levelly, as if he was talking about the preparations for their next gig.

"That bad, huh?" Prompto commented, wrinkling his nose. "Is there anything... _I_ can do?"

He knew that he was just a commoner and didn't know anything about warfare - except for one or the other experience from playing simulation and strategy games - but he cared about these people. Noctis, his father, Ignis, everyone who lived in Insomnia and he saw it as his duty to do as much as he could.

"You're doing a lot already," Ignis smiled back at him through the rearview mirror.

"I do?" Prompto asked, looking just as surprised as Noctis did.

"Yes. His Majesty, King Regis, told me to tell his son to enjoy his Valentine's date and to tell you to keep making his son smile," Ignis said as he relayed the message. "Tomorrow will be enough of a day to think about war games."

Mouth falling open, Prompto stared in utter disbelief at the royal adviser.

"Did dad really say this?" Noctis asked, sounding just as flummoxed as Prompto felt.

"Not that nicely, to be frank," Ignis smirked and looked back in time just to see Prompto press a hand to his cheek.

Why did he suddenly feel like a teenager on his first date, getting the approval by his date's dad?

Oh wait, because he did, even though they weren't teenagers anymore. But this _was_ their first date and he had just gotten a very explicit and open sign of approval from Noctis' father, the _King of Lucis_ , to do whatever was necessary to make Noctis happy.

Well, he didn't plan on doing anything else, because Noctis being happy was what Prompto was here for. Maybe he even wanted to do this for the rest of their lives, but it was definitely too soon to say it like this.

"Oh the Six," Noctis groaned and covered his red face with his free hand. "Do I want to know what he said?"

"I am pretty sure you do not want details," Ignis smirked, making Noctis slump further with a horrified expression.

"You're right, I don't. Too bad that it's already in my head now," the prince groaned and Prompto nodded solemnly. He couldn't help but think about the way Regis could have said these things, all of them accentuated by the old man's wink. Prompto really liked Regis, but as soon as he turned into that old man, who made dirty jokes, it was over with his respect for the King.

After a long drive they arrived at Prompto's apartment complex. The rain had finally let up a little bit so that it was just a soft drizzle, nothing that soaked you if you didn't have an umbrella.

"I'll take you to your door," Noctis said softly and Prompto smiled.

"Thanks... Thank you, too, for driving us, Ignis," the blond added just before he climbed out of the car.

"It's been a pleasure," Ignis smiled and nodded. "Your Highness, please don't take too long."

"Ye~s," Noctis murmured as he climbed out of the car as well. He followed Prompto up the stairs to his apartment and then they both hesitated as Prompto put the key into the lock to his door.

"So..." They both said after an awkward moment of silence. 

Prompto looked up and saw the same look of surprise mirrored on Noctis' face before they started giggling.

"Thank you for this date," Prompto was the first to say, before he broke out into a lopsided grin. " _Boyfriend_."

"Likewise," Noctis replied, chuckling at his new title. " _Boyfriend_."

Prompto was pretty sure that Gladio or Crowe would have rolled their eyes at them, seeing how awkward they were, but he didn't mind. He was happy and wouldn't change a thing about this situation.

"So, uh, do you want to come in for a coffee?" Prompto asked, half-teasing, half-meaning it. He was wearing his brand-new chocobo boxer briefs after all.

"Um... Ignis is waiting," Noctis said, but his cheeks were red and Prompto was sure that he had understood the innuendo.

"Okay," Prompto smiled. "It was a joke after all, I know you don't like coffee."

"No, but... I like you," Noctis said and the weight of the honesty of these words hit Prompto like a truck on the highway.

"Holy _fuck_!" he squeaked and threw his hands up in the air, just to cover his face a moment later. "That's so cheesy! But I like you, too, so that's okay."

Noctis looked shocked for a moment, then snorted and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Dork," he chided, but the fondness of his tone wasn't lost on Prompto. "Can I... Can I kiss you again?"

"Mhm... but you don't have to ask anymore. We're boyfriends now, so you get an all-you-can-kiss free pass from me," Prompto gave back and this time it was Noctis' turn to roll his eyes.

"Come here," he snorted and stepped forward to place his hand on the side of Prompto's face, tilted his head and pressed their lips together again.

All their practice from earlier paid off and they managed to get the angle right from the beginning on, and as their lips moved together, Prompto couldn't help but think just how _right_ this felt.

Even if he wanted more than just closed-lips kisses, he would take what Noctis was willing to give. It had taken him this long to take the hints, a little longer like this wouldn't hurt.

~*~

The following day was... something else. Prompto woke up on his futon mattress before his alarm rang and kept staring at the ceiling while he replayed what had happened the previous day in his mind.

After a really slow and rainy day, Prompto had dressed up for his first - ever? - real Valentines Date and went to meet once Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prince of Lucis, heir to the throne and officially Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret's boyfriend. Who had asked him out on this date.

Even if Prompto had known what the outcome of this date would be, he was still unable to process that it had indeed happened. Surely not the way either of them had planned it, but in the end, Prompto couldn't think of a better way for them to make it happen.

Noctis had been so frustrated, so angry at himself and every bit of the circumstances that Prompto had felt the need to show him what was important. To remind Noctis that he didn't need the prince, but the man who had become his friend over the past three and a half years because he could see that Noctis was getting lost in his need to make everything perfect for him.

But Prompto never needed perfect. Or, at the very least, he didn't need some rich kid's interpretation of perfect. Sure, fancy dates were nice, getting to eat things or being in places he would have never even seen in his life if not for Noctis, but at the end of the day, none of that mattered tp Prompto. What mattered was the fact that he had a boyfriend now and that he was the cutest thing since that puppy Prompto had befriended in elementary school.

He lifted the chocobo plush that he had been hugging to himself to his face and hid a tiny squeal. Or, well, maybe a not so tiny one.

He, Prompto Argentum, at the age of 27, had managed to find his first lover. His first boyfriend. And since Noctis was on the top list of people everyone wanted to date, he could say that he had definitely scored in the top league. Not that it mattered!

He turned to face his phone, that showed him one new message. There was only one more message containing a very cheesy meme after wall of texts he and Noctis had exchanged after the prince had left. Nevertheless, it made him smile and text back a collection of characters that would make up a new face, a kaomoji. It was a bit different from the emoji that came with the new phones and came from a time when those little images weren't available everywhere, meaning that Prompto still had them all memorized to perfection.

After he sent that, Prompto finally started to get up. He checked the weather and snorted as the sun almost blinded him through the window. Well, now that they had confessed, the weather was finally great again? What a cruel coincidence.

Nevertheless, Prompto got dressed and started his morning run in the cool and still humid air. Halfway through, he had to stop because Noctis had obviously woken up enough to see his reply and they continued their conversation about cute things, gushing all over each other.

For example, Noctis was unable to stop gushing over how good Prompto had looked in a suit. He had to mention it in every other message, usually followed by a very flustered emoji or kaomoji.

It was adorable.

As Prompto ran past several hotels and hostels on his route, he came across more than just one couple or person on their walk of shame. Disheveled clothes and hair, smudged makeup, Prompto knew the signs well. More than once was he the one who had to wait for the first train to be running again after a night of drinking too long, of kissing the wrong person.

But this was over now, he thought giddily and skipped a step with a jump as he rounded another corner. He had a _boyfriend_ now and he couldn't wait to kiss him again.

Too bad they both had appointments on this day and weren't able to see each other until the next day for some band practice. Prompto started fretting hours before about what he was supposed to wear and if he should wear his glasses or not. It wasn't like he disliked them, but he _did_ think that he looked better without them. However, they also protected him from the paint that splashed everywhere when he moved around, so it was probably not good if he didn't put them on anymore.

The least he did was to mess with his hair, styling it upwards again even though his tube of hair gel was almost empty. He made a mental note to buy a new one on his way to band practice or on his way back, but then jumped on his bike to drive to the studio where they usually practiced. Humming to himself he was glad that he was wearing his glasses after all, because the wind blast was pretty heavy. Also the forecast had mentioned that there would be remnants of sandstorms from Leide coming over these days when the rain was gone and he could really taste some sand in his mouth the longer he rode his bike.

He was actually the first to arrive at the place and started setting it up, which meant that he turned on all the lights, put the amplifiers into position and then set up his easel and paints. 

After a while, Crowe and Libertus arrived, greeting him with a clap on the shoulder and a grin each, but then started to tune their instruments and make sure that everything was alright with them. Libertus frowned at a drum that looked like it needed a new head soon, so he put some duct tape nearby. Crowe checked her extra strings and just as she finished sorting her picks, Nyx arrived with a wide grin plastered on his face. Instead of going to his instrument, he walked up straight to Prompto, hooked his arm around his neck and gave him a noogie.

He caught Prompto completely off guard with that, otherwise he would have tried to evade that at the first sign.

"So! You've finally managed to get prince charmless to date you! Congratulations!" he cheered, keeping Prompto right in his headlock.

"What?" Libertus perked up. "The heck? I thought they were already dating!"

Prompto groaned. Why did this feel like getting chewed out by his artist friends when he first had met Noct?

"What? You thought the royal pain in the ass was aware of his own feelings? Since when have you been serving him again?" Nyx said as Crowe snorted, nonchalantly shouldering her bass as if Nyx wasn't currently coking all air out of Prompto's lungs.

"Guys?" the blond croaked, trying to wiggle out of Nyx' hold.

"Shoot. You're right. Man, and here I really thought that they had already hooked up in Tenebrae," Libertus huffed, perching up on his seat.

Prompto's eyes widened as fast as he turned red and he shook his head. "N-no! Nothing like that happened, holy shit!" he protested, still turning redder. He remembered how Noctis had said that the band members would think something like that of them, but he hadn't realized that he hadn't been joking then. They _really_ thought that something had happened between them.

 _Oh Six_.

"Man, you really don't know anything about Noct at all, do you?" Nyx sighed and finally let go of Prompto, who breathed a sigh of relief. "It's not just an act when the princess says that he's only interested in music. He really _is_. And well, MRCRY's art."

"So," Libertus asked as he leaned forward over the snare drums, one eyebrow raised in disbelief. "You are trying to tell me that during the past three years when these two could have been fucking like rabbits, they have been dancing around each other like idiots?"

"You didn't have to put it that way, but yeah, basically that's what happened," Nyx shrugged and started rolling his shoulders in his personal warm-up ritual.

Crowe scoffed and Libertus snorted. "Kids these days, huh, Crowe?" the drummer said, starting to twirl his drum sticks around as he leaned back again.

"Don't drag me into this, I'm currently in an LDR, all this lovey-dovey talk is making me sick," the woman huffed and started to tune her base. "Can we speed this up so I can go back to Lestallum?"

"You and Cidney still going strong?" Prompto piped up, smiling fondly because he was genuinely happy for his old friend. Even if this was his first relationship ever, Prompto knew that Cidney had been looking a long time for the right person and it seemed as if Crowe was the right person to handle her moods and quirks, giving her the right amount of space and attention.

Crowe looked at him in surprise anyway and Prompto was _sure_ to see a blush covering her pale skin, but before he could confirm it, she turned her head to the side, effectively hiding her cheeks with her wild black hair. "Yeah," she said. "I really like her..."

"Ooooh, does this mean we'll get to go to another wedding soon? Promise me you'll have a bigger party than this party pooper here," Libertus butted in and practiced a quick rataplan. "Can I cook?"

"Well, that's something I need to discuss with the _other_ important person first, you don't get to decide on that," Crowe huffed, and by then Prompto was 100% sure that she was blushing.

"I'll volunteer to take your pictures," he offered. "I'll even help you come up with a proposal plan or something, if you need one."

"Ugh! You guys are worse than those girls on TV!" Crowe whined and undid her hair to let it fall into her face. "We haven't talked about anything like that yet!"

Prompto laughed, but he perked up when he heard the door open again and saw Noctis arrive with his Shield and Adviser. His face lit up and he straightened subconsciously, turning towards his _boyfriend_ who seemed to brighten up just as much upon seeing Prompto.

"And there he is! Congratulations on finally finding someone you like, prince charmless!" Nyx said and greeted Noctis in the same way he had greeted Prompto just a few moments ago.

"Thanks... Hey!" Noctis protested and squirmed in the older man's hold, but he had obviously more experience with this kind of situation and managed to get out with a few well-placed jabs to Nyx' ribs.

"Dude, you don't have to play dirty like that all the time," the guitarist protested as he held his sides, but Noctis only scoffed. 

"I learned from the best," he retorted with a one-shouldered shrug and walked over to Prompto.

However, when he stood in front of him, he didn't quite know what to do. Neither did Prompto, so they just stood there awkwardly for a moment, while the others just watched them with mixtures of shock and surprise. It was as if they were spectators to a scene in wildlife and Prompto honestly waited for one of them to narrate their awkwardness in one way or the other.

"...Hey," he greeted Noctis with a smile before anyone could do anything though. 

"...yeah," Noctis replied with the goofiest grin on his face that Prompto had ever seen and he chuckled softly. "I-I mean... _hi_."

"Dork," Prompto giggled and hit _his boyfriend's_ arm playfully as he laughed just as bashfully. Behind the prince, Prompto could see Gladio roll his eyes and shake his head and he hoped that the other three behind him were a bit better at keeping their poker faces. Or that at least Noctis was too focused on him to look anywhere but his face.

"Guess I am," Noctis just laughed though and when Prompto leaned in, expecting a small kiss in greeting, the prince looked very confused, as if he didn't know what to do.

So he stepped forward and wrapped Prompto into a hug.

To say that the blond was disappointed would be wrong, but also not false, either. Now it was his turn to be surprised, but he hugged back nevertheless. Even if everybody else in the room groaned and Libertus whispered loudly, "Kiss the boy, dimwit!"

Noctis tensed in his hold and turned his head enough to look questioningly at the blond. Prompto chuckled and nodded, but leaned in to get the kiss that he had wanted to save them any more awkwardness. Libertus hollered despite the fact that it was just a little peck and nothing like the kisses from New Years Day or Valentines.

"Next time I'll do better," Noctis promised, completely red-faced with embarrassment as they pulled apart.

"It's okay," Prompto reassured him as he squeezed his arm. "Let's talk about it later, okay?"

"Sure," Noctis agreed, still red in the face, but looking determined enough to make Prompto smile proudly.

The rehearsal went just as they had planned it, and Prompto had come up with at least two new ways to paint his pictures and another idea for the backdrop of their tour. Of course they had a lot of moments where they were getting frustrated because either the music was wrong or Noctis missed a beat or two, but when Prompto took a break and just watched everyone from the sidelines, everything he saw was still a very dedicated and talented band and he couldn't help but be proud to be a part of them.

Of course, he admired Noctis the most, because he went from being very insecure how to greet his new boyfriend to the kind of beast on stage that he had always been within just a few moments and Prompto couldn't be prouder.

Everything was perfect in this very moment and Prompto never wanted this feeling to stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you want to, you can join [our Discord](https://discord.gg/PAqXGrn). So far we're a small group hanging out and I'm willing to tell you guys about what I've thought at some points.
> 
> Banira already said that I will be getting less comments here because of that. xD So let's see!


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How is life after the confession? It's pretty wild!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have finished (my first run of) FFXV.  
> I fell a little more in love with Prompto than I did before, I still want to hug Noctis, BUT after Omega appeared, I could only think of yet another (few) way(s) to safe Noctis in the end.
> 
> Looking forward to (hopefully) the (interesting) plot of the upcoming episodes, but I will play the other episodes now. :D Plus a few of the sidequests I couldn't finish before.

The next single that Monsters of the Deep published was called ' _Cold Hands_ '. Prompto and Noctis didn't have much time to bask in their new relationship, but had to finish the creative touches to the single cover and for the promotional tour. Prompto ended up being more involved with the band than Noctis, who took more and more of his father's duties.

Despite the fact that Nyx had written the song in its entirety, he said that he didn't want to take part in 'all the promotional crap' - as he had so eloquently put it. Since both Noctis and Prompto were used to promoting themselves more than the older man, they just shrugged it off. However, when Noctis proposed that they could go to Tenebrae together to promote the single, Prompto couldn't help but feel nervous somehow. 

It was really cute when he did, because he would come up to Prompto after the rehearsal, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and said, "Um, you know, I have to go to Tenebrae next month for... for something political, but also, well, because it's _White Day_ and I have to go on a date with Luna for that, but also she, said that, um. Well, I told her you'd loved the gardens of the palace, so she said she'd like to show you around in the private parts. Like, the one where she and I planted flowers as kids..."

"Really?" Prompto gasped, absolutely sold right from the start of the sentence. Ever since his last vacation alone he had wanted to go back to Tenebrae and if that meant he could go together with Noctis, meet Luna _and_ visit the gardens that only royalty and other higher ups were allowed to see, it really was a no-brainer for him. "I mean, I need to check my schedule, but I'm sure I can make space for a few days."

"Yeah?" Noctis said, his whole face lighting up with hope and happiness, making Prompto smile fondly in return. "I'll tell Ignis to arrange this so you can come with me."

"It'd be my pleasure. Um, I could take pictures of you and Luna, too, like, you know. Up close and personal, something for you to publish and cover up things," Prompto offered, thinking that it was the easiest to repay Noctis for his generosity. He knew that he didn't have to do that, but he wanted to.

Besides, if Crowe and Cidney were really going to marry, he needed to practice his wedding photo skills before that. And what better motif to try that out than the Prince of Lucis and his supposed girlfriend?

"H-huh?" Noctis replied, blinking in surprise. He looked pensive for a moment and then shrugged. "I'll tell Ignis about it? I'm sure it'll be a good idea, I mean, when you said the way Luna and I handled our dates looked fake, it helped us find out what else we could do. Sure, we went a little overboard in the end, but no one has ever questioned us again."

"I know, right?" Prompto grinned. "I'm looking forward to taking romantic pictures of you two!"

Even though Noctis didn't look convinced, Prompto didn't feel an ounce of jealousy. Quite the opposite; his artist mind already planned to redo pictures of that one girls series he had watched religiously on that old TV set back when his caretaker had still been alive.

"...are you sure you want to take pictures of me... and Luna? And not, like, you and me?" Noctis asked, looking still unsure about Prompto's plan.

"Oh, well, we can take some selfies. But it's not like... like I take a lot of pictures of myself anyway?" Prompto explained, looking a little confused at his boyfriend's concern.

Noctis sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, and that's a real shame," he huffed, just to smirk a second later. "Guess I'll have to rectify that then. I can't let my cute boyfriend go unphotographed," he grinned and lifted his phone to snap a shot of Prompto's confused and doubtful face.

"Hey!" Prompto protested, just to have another picture taken of him.

"Awww, you look cute when you're upset like this," Noctis giggled, smiling at the picture on his phone.

"Hey. That's not fair, Mr. I'll-glare-you-down-because-you-took-a-picture-of-me," Prompto huffed, doing his best to glare at the other. "You gotta _ask_ before you take pictures of people!"

"Did you ever ask me?" Noctis countered and Prompto opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it with an audible click.

"...I guess you're right," Prompto sighed and slumped, then slung an arm around his boyfriend's shoulders before he held up his phone.

"When did you-?" Noctis asked, staring bewildered up at the other through the reflection of the phone's front camera.

"Is it okay to take a selfie with my boyfriend?" Prompto asked, grinning, holding his thumb over the shutter button.

Noctis blushed, but he scooted a little closer, pressing his face closer to Prompto's. "Only because it's you," he said bashfully, smiling just as shyly into the camera.

Prompto was afraid that he looked constipated in the picture he took then because he tried to hold back a squeal about just how cute Noctis was _again_. Instead he tried to grin as brightly as he could before he pushed the button and then lowered the phone to look at the result.

"Look, it came out nicely," Prompto said and held his phone so that Noctis could look at it as well.

"Yeah, looks good... Must be the photographer," he smirked and nudged the blond's side. "You know, we didn't take any picture to commemorate our... _Date_."

"Yeah... I guess, but that's not too bad, is it? I mean, it was raining and you looked pretty unhappy all day-" Prompto started, just to stop talking when he saw pure horror manifest on Noctis' face. "Okay, what's with that face?"

"I just realized... that I didn't take a picture of you in that suit," Noctis said gravely, looking completely heartbroken and devastated. "I was so distracted by how good you looked that I... I didn't..."

"Hey, calm down, okay? It's not like I can never wear that suit again, you know?" Prompto said, trying to calm the prince.

"But... how can I preserve the memory now?" Noctis gasped and looked completely and over the top devastated. "You looked so... like a ray of sunshine breaking through the rain clouds, like... Like the light at the end of the tunnel!"

"Could you tone it down with the death comparisons? I'm still here nor am I a messenger of the gods or anything." Prompto frowned and tried to keep calm himself, which was rather difficult for him because Noctis was acting as if the world ended just because he didn't take that picture. Also, he was both moved and embarrassed by how poetic Noctis suddenly got. It was so very unlike him, since he usually never talked about his feelings. He scrolled through the pictures of his phone's camera roll, finding what he was looking for rather quickly. 

"Here... is that okay?" he asked as he showed Noctis the full-body selfie he took of his outfit once he had finished his styling. At the moment he wasn't sure why he took it, thinking that he had been too caught up in his social media to make sure that he would document every big step in his life. But then, he had realized that he just wanted to make sure that he wouldn't forget the day when he had been able to afford a bespoke suit so easily. And then he needed to make sure that he really looked as good in it as he felt.

"Holy Six, when did you take that?" Noctis asked, snatching the phone out of Prompto's hand to stare at the picture.

"Um, while I was waiting for the taxi?" Prompto replied, even as his fingers twitched with inexplicable nervousness to get his phone back into his hands.

"Send it to me. Now," Noctis demanded with a look so determined it both irritated Prompto and melted his heart.

"Just because you're cute," he said condescending and shared the picture to Noctis' contact details on his phone. As he scrolled back in the roll he remembered to send the selfie of them both as well. "And my boyfriend."

"Thank you." Noctis smiled as he stared dreamily at the picture on his phone, zooming in and out in parts that made Prompto nervous again. But Noctis looked so cute right then that Prompto couldn't help but snap another picture of his boyfriend.

"...Did you just... hey!" Noctis protested weakly as he looked back up and pouted at the phone that was pointed at him. "I didn't allow that."

"I can delete it if you want?" Prompto offered as he swapped through the pictures of his pouting boyfriend with a smile on his lips.

Noctis hesitated obviously, but then he sighed. "Fine. Keep them, but... Don't do anything with those, okay?"

"Mhm," Prompto hummed and then shot Noctis a look. "When did I ever use pictures of you for _something_?"

"Uh, last album cover?" Noctis reminded him, lifting his chin in challenge.

Prompto huffed. "Hey, you said it looked good, too!"

"Because it _did_! But my protests were overruled by your clever arguments and everyone else's opinions," Noctis pouted, before he sighed. "Hey, um, do you... have time after this? We could go... and eat something? Like, KC or something."

"Um... sure? I mean, I gotta finish this... this thing today, but I think there's time for KC now," Prompto replied, matching the light blush on Noctis' cheeks with one of his own.

"Yeah? Now?" Noctis repeated and Prompto chuckled. "Yeah... _Now_. Let's go."

He reached out for the prince's hand and squeezed it as they left their rehearsal room and walked to the next Crow's Nest, blissfully hand in hand. Prompto planned on never walking with Noctis again without holding his hand and it seemed as if the feeling was mutual, even if their hands were sweaty, cold and just a tad bit uncomfortable.

Halfway through his burger, Prompto asked, "Hey, does this count as a date to you?"

Noctis blinked with a handful of fries lifted in front of his open mouth. "...Uh. Never thought about it."

"I mean, isn't a date something two people do who are romantically involved with each other? Or, like, would like to be," Prompto added, putting his burger down to take a long sip from his diet coke.

"I thought a date would always be a nice dinner, something... _special_ ," Noctis replied.

"Well, for some people just being with the one they like is special," Prompto countered and picked up his burger again. "So, it would be a date for them if, like, they went to see a movie together..."

Noctis blinked, and then narrowed his eyes as he tried to figure out what Prompto was trying to get at.

"...held hands throughout the whole thing and afterwards, too..."

Prompto trailed off and took a bite out of his burger as he watched Noctis trying to put the pieces together. He had even stopped chewing as he mulled over what Prompto had just said.

"Wait, so when we watched Shriek V, you think that was already a date?" Noctis asked as he thought back to his last birthday and the late night showing of the newest installment his favorite horror movie series. When he had thought that Prompto had been scared out of his mind, even if the blond was just sensitive to jumpscares. 

"And that time in Lestallum when we met K from Moon Sea?" Noctis recalled, frowning a little. "We... we didn't even hold hands or do anything romantic!"

"Oh? You think strolling through a romantic city, eating snacks and meeting your favorite band is _not_ romantic?" Prompto huffed and licked ketchup from his fingers.

"Well then! I'll make sure that we will have the best, no, the most romantic vacation next month in Tenebrae! I don't think there's a city more romantic than that!" Noctis sputtered, and then coughed because that one fry went down the wrong pipe.

"Well, I can think of another city, but it's not like I'm going to challenge you to take me to the most romantic places in the world," Prompto said, just to bite his lips as he realized what he had just said.

"Oh? You're not? Well, _challenge accepted_ , my dude! I will find the most romantic places in all of Eos and I will take you to each and every one of them," Noctis boasted, just to blush when he realized what he had just said.

Prompto stared at him with wide eyes, completely flabbergasted before he rolled his eyes and snorted in amusement. "Well, right now, this Crow's Nest is the most romantic place in the world, you nerd."

Noctis blushed and he turned back to his burger. "...And you call _me_ a nerd..."

Prompto chuckled and shook his head. "Well, you gotta step up your game, _prince_ , because I'm not that easily wooed by textbook romantic places alone."

Noctis blinked, and then frowned as he tried to come up with an appropriate retort. "Well, I guess I gotta use my _natural charm_ then."

Prompto burst into laughter and bumped their shoulders together. "Well, you gotta work on that, too. You shouldn't rely too much on the way you are. I'm not... _her_ , my standards are different." He grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Well, that much is clear, but you guys aren't as different as you think you are," Noctis huffed and finished his own burger. "I have no idea how the two of you can eat so many vegetables, ugh."

"...Seriously, that's the thing you want to point out that we're similar? 'We like vegetables, same person'?" Prompto snorted, terribly amused by how that would make him the same as every other person on Eos, too.

"No, I mean... I feel comfortable around the both of you," Noctis explained, looking flustered because the way Prompto had said it made him realize just how insensitive and stupid his words had been. "I want to make sure that the both are as happy as you can be, I want to protect you. _That's_ where it's the same... Just that... I want to kiss you."

The prince blushed and Prompto found that reflected on his own face. When it became too overwhelming, he sighed and slumped visibly. "...Okay, you're natural charm is working pretty well," he noted before he chuckled again. "Believe me, I want more than kisses, too... But I know you're not comfortable with that, so we'll take it slow, okay?"

"I... Prompto," Noctis started, looking just like he wanted to say something, but either he lost his courage or it was too embarrassing to talk about in public. Not that Prompto minded. If Noctis didn't want to talk about it, it was fine, as long as they could still make steps forward.

"Don't worry, okay? It's still not like I have any real experience in that department," the blond chuckled. He still wasn't proud that he was still a virgin at the age of 27, but since it took him so long to find someone he really liked as much as he like Noctis, he was sure that he could still wait for a little longer. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't know anything. Porn, movies, everything was more or less about sex and thanks to the fanfictions that Noctis had showed him and that Cidney, Yohsuke and Bellis kept sending him, Prompto had a pretty good idea how people imagined their first time.

Most saw him on the bottom, because he was so 'cute' and a little shorter than Noct, and it only went downhill from there. He stopped reading when he came across something called alpha-beta-omega and before that, he tried to stick with G-rated stories. The few times he had read one with a higher rating Prompto cringed so hard that he wondered why he had even clicked on it in the first place.

There was one x-rated long story he did like after all, one where someone managed to work out the similarities between Noct and Noctis and turned it into a so-called 'celebrity AU' that hit almost too close to the real thing. Halfway through, Prompto had almost given up because it got too depressing for him and he really couldn't understand the appeal of having sex without declaring romantic feelings either. 

But that was just one among many, and there had been many good ones, too. Prompto's favorites were the ones where he and Noct were studying together and taking part in a couple's study during which they realized their feelings for one another. Or the other, where he met Noct on a flight that had to turn back around due to Mt. Ravatough breaking out. There, they also had sex the first time they met, but the spark had been there and Prompto read it with flushed cheeks late into the night. He hoped that their first time would be just as good as their confession and the kisses, but then again, he wasn't alone in this.

Noctis looked at him doubtfully, but he decided not to comment on the topic any further.

Prompto, on the other hand, had other plans. He licked his fingers clean from the salt of his own fries and stretched, nervous energy and anticipation making it unable for him to sit still.

"Speaking of which... Wanna go for a walk? Or, maybe come over for... a tea or something?" Prompto offered, planning to kiss his new boyfriend senseless.

"I-" Noctis started, just to frown before he took his phone out of his pocket. He unlocked it and scrolled through the message on it before he sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, I need to go. Duty calls."

"Ah... Well, I guess that's bound to happen," Prompto said and tried to keep his cheerful smile, but he was a little disappointed. He had been looking forward to more kisses between the two of them.

"Yeah... sorry."

"Don't be," Prompto smiled, managing to make it look real this time around. He didn't want Noctis to feel bad because he was who he was. He understood that being the prince of Lucis came with responsibilities that he couldn't even begin to imagine. But if that meant Prompto would get a kiss less, then he would get a little sad about it.

"Um... I think I still have a few minutes... for a little walk?" Noctis offered, a blush high on his cheeks.

Prompto blinked, staring in disbelief at Noctis who seemed to have read his thoughts right in that moment. "Um, sure. Let's go?" he offered, taking his tray to the trash and then walked outside of the diner, just to take Noctis' hand once they were outside.

They kept silent as they crossed the street to the nearest park, afraid to break the tension, but once they were inside, Noctis looked around and then pulled Prompto behind the booth of the public restrooms. Even if Prompto could see where this was heading, he was still amused by Noctis' choice of location and surprised when he felt the prince's lips on his.

After two days without the feeling, he couldn't help but smile and relax, even if it didn't turn into anything other than lips on lips. He pulled Noctis a little closer though, hugging him around the neck as their lips moved against each other and Prompto had to hold back so that he didn't put his tongue to use, too. He was sure that Noctis wouldn't mind, but he had promised that they would take it slow and from that, having them kiss in a public place was almost pushing 'slow' too far.

They only stopped when Noctis' phone vibrated in his jacket and pulled apart slowly.

"I have to go," Noctis said softly, reluctantly, and Prompto couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah... Say hi to your dad from me, _Cinderella_ ," he teased, pushing himself up on his toes to place a kiss on the tip of Noctis' nose. At Noctis' confused expression, he just laughed and said, "Since you have to leave so early. So quickly, like the Cinderella at midnight, you know?"

"You're such a dork," Noctis snorted and Prompto couldn't help but say, "Yeah, but I'm _your_ dork."

He bit his lip and stared up at Noctis, embarrassed, just as the other looked at him with wide eyes. A blush was forming high on his cheeks that Prompto could feel blooming in his own face as well. "What... did you just..."

"Oh, um, was that too early?" Prompto asked, his smile faltering as he realized that maybe he had come on too strongly with that bold declaration.

"N-no..." Noctis replied, visibly flustered while he held onto Prompto's shoulders, looking like he didn't know what to do with himself. He bit his lip before he stammered, "It's just... Well, it's... _You're cute_."

Noctis looked so helpless and defenseless when he said those words that Prompto was still worried after he realized that he could be relieved now. His relief was instantly overridden by embarrassment though when he registered that Noctis had just called him cute.

Prompto felt how his face heated up and soon they were both as red as tomatoes, sputtering in embarrassment. They almost jumped apart when they heard someone clear their throat, just to realize that Ignis had found them. Ignis looked at them with raised eyebrows, obviously not quite believing what he saw there. The prince and his boyfriend making out behind some public restroom like peasants? 

Prompto croaked, cleared his throat and smiled sheepishly at his boyfriend. "S-seriously though. Say hi to your dad. I'd love to see him again sometime."

"I will. I'll call you?" Noctis replied, his voice sounding just as raw. He cleared his throat and then hesitated a moment before he wrapped Prompto into a quick embrace that could be simply described as a bro-hug, complete with back-patting and chest-bumping. Prompto almost laughed.

"Sure, whenever you want. Oh, and give me the details about that trip to Tenebrae, too, okay?" Prompto asked, smiling full of hope.

"Of course," Noctis nodded with that shy crooked smile of his that Prompto liked so much before he stepped into the care. "See you later... Bye."

"Bye-bye!" Prompto said cheerfully, waving his hand at both his boyfriend and Ignis, too. After receiving his waves and goodbyes in return, he turned back to make his way back home. There were still commissions waiting for him.

* * *

"Ignis," Noctis whined after the car had taken off.

"Yes, Noct?" his adviser replied calmly.

"I just... I just _can't_. He's too cute, he's too much!" Noctis complained, pulling at his seatbelt because it was easier than pulling at his hair.

"Is that so," Ignis noted, and Noctis glared at him through the rearview mirror.

"Yes! He's just.. he's just too perfect, you know? Understanding, considerate, polite, helpful... Hell, he even said I should tell _my dad_ 'hi' from him, no one ever calls him 'my dad', he's always just 'the king' or 'his majesty'!"

"Seems like he needs a lesson or two about etiquette," Ignis said dryly as he did his best to keep his face impassive. However, there was a smile tugging at the corners of his lips that Noctis didn't notice because he was having a full-blown mental breakdown because his boyfriend was too good for his world.

"No! No, don't break him, I want him just like this!" Noctis said, just to startle and blush as he realized the full weight of his words. "...don't you ever dare tell someone I said this."

"I won't," Ignis replied, unable to hide his amusement anymore.

"He's just... perfect, you know? Like... Like sunshine after the rain. Like... ice-cream on a hot summer day. Like hot cocoa after ice-skating, like-"

"It's nice to see that you are able to find so many metaphors," Ignis chuckled. 

Noctis huffed in protest. "Don't make fun of this, I'm serious here!"

"I am fully aware of that fact."

Noctis continued to list all the good points about Prompto and Ignis couldn't help the fond smile that spread over his face. It had been a long time that he had seen the prince as excited and happy as he was now and he was more than relieved that the episode from five years ago could finally be forgotten.

As calm and collected as Ignis usually appeared, he still blamed himself for the trauma he had caused as he had overzealously arranged a handful of dates for the prince. And Noctis - the good boy that he was - had tried his best to please his dates, just that this one time, everything had gone overboard.

To see Noctis flourish like this over the good points of his boyfriend of two days was like a healing potion to Ignis' tormented soul. It did nothing to help with his bad conscience, but then again, Ignis was sure that nothing would ever make him forget about it. But at least the damage didn't seem to be permanent, so he wished Noctis and Prompto all the best in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you feel like it, please join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/PAqXGrn)! You'll get some previews of Banira's art (like what Regis said to Ignis on the phone, which will be up at a later time) and us dorks talking about these two dorks. XD You can also follow [me](https://twitter.com/makikoigami) and [Banira](https://twitter.com/vaniracoke) on twitter, but we rant a lot. Seriously. Usually it's not FFXV related though.
> 
> Love you all and please look forward to next week!


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things go both downhill and uphill at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, excuse the vague summary, but there's so much happening that I can't quite summarize it in a handful of sentences. 
> 
> Thank you for reading up to this point. I love you all.

The trip to Tenebrae was great.

Being able to see parts that 'normal' tourists usually didn't see was enough to have Prompto on the edge of ecstasy, but the pictures he took in the Royal Gardens of Lunafreya and Noctis were even better than he had expected them to be. The idols' pale reflection and the prince's dark clothes among the blue of the sylleblossoms was stunning, even without filters or any other kind of touch-up and Prompto couldn't wait to send Ignis a few to get his opinion on them while he sat alone in the hotel room that he shared with his boyfriend.

It didn't take long for Noctis to return from the official date with Lady Lunafreya and after a quick meal of KC take-out, they kissed a bit more, gradually adding more tongue this time before they fell asleep in each other's arms, exhausted after a long day of walking around Tenebrae. 

Prompto was sure that Noctis started to take a liking to those kinds of kisses and thought that they would be doing this a lot more often in the future. However, with their day jobs and public roles they couldn't spend a lot of time alone together. Only when they had to do something for Monsters of the Deep together they could find moments to spend some quality alone time together.

Usually, 'quality alone time' meant that Noctis would look at him with that puppy look that Prompto had learned to decipher as a silent request to kiss. Most of the time, it would happen when they were idling before or after some kind of promotion event. Sure, these occasions were scarce, but it was always nice when Noctis would actively approach him to kiss. It helped Prompto not to fret so much over whether he was the only one who wanted this relationship to be physical or if the feeling was mutual.

As the kisses became wetter and hotter, Prompto knew that Noctis definitely wanted more, too, whether he realized it yet or not. They would usually make him so happy and giddy before an interview that he would end up talking too fast and too much while Noctis would just sit there with a goofy smile on his face, not saying much at all.

Maybe that was for the better, too, because people could probably recognize his voice as the one of the Prince of Lucis easier when he talked. Since Prompto was 'just' MRCRY and not anyone of public interest like Noctis, it was safer for him to do most of the talking on radio shows and other media. Sometimes though, Noctis would talk animatedly about how much fun it was to make music in a way that no one had ever heard the Prince of Lucis talk. Prompto would watch him light up, when he talked about how much fun it was to make music _with MRCRY and for the fans_ , wondering if he had ever seen him talk as excitedly as that about anything in his role as the Prince.

However, the red thread that Noctis held up high about his band seemed to be this one thing: how much fun it was to make music for those who liked their music as much as they did. To him, the monetary success didn't seem to matter as long as their fans kept liking their music. On the other hand, he didn't need the monetary success, so Prompto was sure that he was a lot more relaxed about how quickly his band rose to the top. On the other hand, the more successful Monsters of the Deep became, the bigger the risk that someone recognised him as Prince of Lucis after all, which could potentially endanger the safety of the country. And as much as everyone tried not to address it, Noctis _was_ the face of Monsters of the Deep, alongside with Prompto these days.

The next album that came out in December reflected that fact with the cover.

Prompto loved it, because it showed exactly their strong points, Noctis' hand around the microphone and Prompto's paint-stained hand holding the brushes that he used on stage. It also showed off their differences in built. Where Prompto was all wiry muscle and calloused hands from painting and working out and looking after his diet, Noctis was softer, but not with less energy. They went along well and Prompto considered to put the cover up as a poster at his home right next to the growing collection of selfies with Noctis, just because it meant so much to him.

It was the first album where he was listed as a songwriter along with Nyx and Noct, and the first album where he had officially recorded some of the lyrics, too. Sure, he had been singing on stage ever since day one, but officially only for the last few tours. It was exciting; the first time had been super scary, too, but with Noctis at his side, everything had been so much easier. Also, with Nyx there, they had always had a backup plan, which made Prompto feel so very safe.

Too bad it also meant that it was only him and Noct as the official members of Monsters of the Deep anymore, too. But a lot of things had happened, to warrant such a big change, for Nyx to leave the band officially.

~*~

After the release of ' _Cold Hands_ ' Prompto put most of his energy into coaxing Noctis to open up about intimate actions. Where they had already gotten to the point that kissing with tongue was something they were both comfortable with, it was Prompto who took a little step forward every once in a while.

He thought it was only fair to be patient now, after Noctis had been so persistent as he had sought out Prompto at the beginning of their friendship. Even if he didn't know why Noctis was so averse against intimate physical affection, he started to think that Noctis simply hadn't been with the right person yet. Prompto knew from experience, because he hadn't wanted to have sex with anyone before, only now, when he had realized that he was in love with Noctis.

So, when they stole away from the others to exchange kisses, Prompto would make sure to step up their game every time. Nothing big, just letting his hand linger a little longer and a little lower on Noctis' back. And he would have been a little pushier if not for the fact that King Regis recovered only slowly from this cold he had caught during that short cold week in June. But Noctis had been so worried about his father that Prompto didn't have the heart to push his own desires upon him.

However, Regis' health didn't improve at all over the course of _months_. At the same time, Niflheim's newly elected emperor Didius Julianus announced that they would do anything to restore peace in the world, to make sure that Niflheim would become a strong country again that everyone could rely on.

His words sounded good, but Noctis' frown deepened with every week that passed and his father didn't get better again. Tenebrae and Accordo intelligence both reported new and more intense troop movement in Niflheim so that Nyx decided to stay closer to Luna's side and move to Tenebrae with her for the time being. Both Noctis and Regis consented to that fact, making it the Glaive's official mission to show his face in Tenebrae and make sure that Niflheim knew that they had an eye on them. That didn't mean that Nyx knew what he could do if something happened.

However, that meant that it was just Noctis and Prompto left in Monsters of the Deep. They would be the ones on the covers of the albums and singles, they would be the ones giving interviews and they would also be the ones the music videos focused on. The others would still be there for concerts and the music - as they had promised - but the band was just two people anymore.

Well, Prompto would have never thought that he would earn his money being a painter in a band, but then again, he also would have never thought that the Prince of Lucis would become his boyfriend. Still, here he was, sitting next to King Regis one week before Christmas to keep the King company.

The man's health had declined further in the colder months and he had to stay in bed while his son did his usual round charity events, plus the ones that his father had to miss. Prompto didn't mind, because he liked listening to the king's stories of the past, about Noctis' mother and the war, his friends and his adventures when he was young. In return, Prompto told Regis everything about Monsters of the Deep. 

The King was very interested in everything, but he especially wanted to hear about how ecstatic Noctis was on stage. He loved hearing how excited Noctis was when he did something he liked and Prompto loved telling him how Noctis was when he was really happy. Whenever he talked about his boyfriend though, his puppy love was showing and he was hyper-aware of it. As he played with the ends of his wristband, Prompto's only salvation was that if there was anything Regis loved to hear more about than how happy Noctis was when he was doing something he loved, it was how happy Prompto and Noctis were when they were with each other.

It was a little embarrassing, but hearing Regis support them, cheering them on to the point where he had started asking Prompto when their wedding would be was refreshing. It was adorable, but also pretty embarrassing since the most he and Noctis had done was to touch each other under their shirts and some groping of the royal ass from Prompto, but aside from the best kisses Prompto had ever had in his whole life, nothing had happened so far. It didn't help that Regis continued to push the matter, that he asked if they had fun in a way that made it clear that he was talking about fun _in bed_. Those questions had only increased after Prompto's birthday had come around.

Really, Prompto considered Regis as much as a father figure as his caretaker had been like his mother at this point, but he still liked to keep some things private, both for his sake and Noctis. But that didn't stop him from making plans, from forming some kind of tactics to get a little more intimate with the prince.

Prompto's well-made plans to go a little further on Christmas needed to be postponed when Noctis called him to cancel their late-night date after his father had once again collapsed. The doctors had said something about his circulation, about an old war wound that started acting up because of his growing age, everything that they could think of as they were obviously grasping for straws, but even Prompto was surprised that it had happened so quickly.

Thus, they spent Christmas together dining with King Regis in his bedroom, sharing stories about their dates that made the old man laugh and forget about his sudden sickness. Even Noctis, who had seemed sick with worry when he had called Prompto, relaxed gradually, until he managed to smile at the blond's impression of a chocobo going "kweh, kweh!" late into the night. Prompto had almost missed it over the king's booming laughter, but when he saw it, he blushed and bit his lip so that he didn't say anything that might be too soon in front of his boyfriend's father. Even if he was knew that Regis fully supported their relationship, Prompto still thought it was unbecoming to voice a deep love confession in front of your boyfriend's father.

He unintentionally saved that for their annual New Year's party.

It was different than usual, mostly because Nyx and Luna were missing from it. Luna had also cancelled her participation of _Battle of the Bands_ because of a cold so Nyx had stayed home with her to make sure she was getting better.

Prompto wasn't so sure about the cold part, but since Noctis had been so worried that it might have been his fault for taking Luna to a seaside restaurant on Christmas, he didn't tell him that both Nyx and Luna had confided him with hints that they finally wanted children. Considering that Luna had just turned 31 and had realized with a start that they wouldn't ever turn younger, Prompto was sure that it was some kind of last-minute panic. However, he wished them all the luck in the world, knowing that they would be great parents when the time came around.

At midnight, Prompto had reminded Noctis how they had kissed for real the first time one entire year ago in this same place and how far they had come ever since. He didn't think he could ever forget just how red Noctis had turned after that, chuckled nervously and then confessed that this had been the first kiss that went past simple lips on lips with tongue he had fully enjoyed so much and how much that had surprised him. He opened up hesitantly how the last person he had kissed with tongue had used too much, too much pressure and how much he had hated it. Prompto had almost been unable to hear his words because the blood was rushing so loudly in his ears. 

For a prince, Noctis was sometimes too cute for his own good. And then he was all wild and aggressive on stage, too, and when they talked about their next tour and Noctis excitedly mentioned that they could go for bigger venues, it was the last straw that made Prompto confess.

" _I love you_ ," he whispered, just to blink in surprise. He lifted a hand to cover his mouth because he hadn't realized how easily these words had slipped out. Noctis looked just as shocked and stared back with eyes as wide as saucers.

"Do you mean that like I think you do?" Noctis asked with bated breath and without even a second of doubt, Prompto nodded.

Why should he not? It was the truth and sometimes it was worth to take a leap of faith, especially with Noctis. Prompto had known long before the prince that his own feelings were returned, had realized that his affection wasn't as one-sided as he had feared, so it was good to give the prince a little nudge into the right direction every now and then.

"In a non-platonic way, from the bottom of my heart," Prompto confessed then, feeling his own cheeks heat up and the tips of his ears turn red.

"Oh thank the gods," Noctis replied and laughed, "it's not just me."

"Nerd, why would it be?" Prompto snorted, just before they continued to make it a new years tradition to welcome the new year with a deep kiss.

After that, Prompto had really thought that they would progress quicker. But with Regis' slowly declining health and the added weight on Noctis' shoulders they saw each other less than they wanted and even though Prompto had taken up sleeping over at the Citadel for added moral and physical support, he didn't really have the heart to make a move on Noctis when he was all beat and tired out.

But it was Valentine's Day and Prompto was getting frustrated. He knew that it wasn't Noctis' fault, he knew that it wasn't his fault, but they had been spending so many nights curled up tightly together that he felt like it was okay to do more than just kissing. It was pure torture to wake up with Noctis' clinging to him like an octopus in his sleep, pressed against Prompto's side to the point where was nothing left to imagination and not do something with him in the morning. They would take turns in the bathroom, Prompto sometimes before Noctis woke up, when he managed to get out of his octopus hold. He tried to be quiet, he tried to be quick, but his imagination usually ran free with the image of the other's sleep-mussed face still fresh in his memory.

Prompto didn't talk about it. He didn't dare to. But he knew that Noctis wasn't as unaffected as he tried to appear as either. Sure, he was quiet, but it only spurred Prompto's imagination to try and make his boyfriend lose his inhibitions in the bedroom instead of taking matters into his own hands in the bathroom.

This year, Noctis had made another reservation at some fancy restaurant. Since Regis had another bad episode though, Prompto made Noctis cancel that and went to get something from Kenny Crow's while the prince was on his way back from his date with Luna. He had said something about how pale Luna had looked, how little she had eaten and expressed hope that she wasn't coming down with anything again. To Prompto, it sounded like something else and he prayed for Luna and Nyx that their wish was soon going to become true.

Noctis had checked on his father and made sure that everything was as okay as it could be according to circumstances before he made his way to his own rooms, where Prompto was waiting for him with their late night fast food dinner.

Prompto listened to Noctis' complaints about the day, then told him how brave his father was, how strong he was and how hard he was fighting against this weakness. He didn't want to say it, but before the relapse earlier this day, Prompto had been so sure that Regis was on the way of recovery. Even the doctor had said so, but after the nurse had exchanged his IV, his health started to decline dramatically. No one had found a reason why, so Prompto had spent most of the day next to the king's side, praying that his health would get better again.

But he didn't tell Noctis about this episode. He just told him that he thought everything would turn out just fine and suggested they watched a movie together. 

They ended up watching random Disney movies, starting with _The Emperor's New Groove_ and then ending with _Tangled_. Halfway into the last one, Prompto shifted to lie on the couch in Noctis' living room and pulled the prince on top of him, distracting him with kisses that became more heated as the movie progressed to the scene with the flying lanterns.

Before the mood in the movie could make a nose-dive though, Prompto muted the TV and looked up at the other, worrying his lip. He was flushed and he was turned on and he wanted more than just kisses. But he wasn't sure if Noctis was ready yet, despite the fact that it had been over a year.

"Hey Noct... Can I... Is it okay... Would you hate if..." Prompto stammered, unable to find the right words for what he wanted to do.

"What?" Noctis asked, all flushed and Prompto could feel his hard-on starting to dig into his thigh, too. It wasn't the first time that he felt this happen, but when it had been the first time, he had been so very relieved that it wasn't just him who got erections when they kissed. This time, however, was the first that he planned to work with it. 

"Spill it. I won't hate you."

Taking a deep breath, Prompto shifted a little and lifted his leg just enough to brush against the growing bulge in his boyfriend's pants.

Noctis gasped and bit his lower lip a moment later, just to look down scandalised at the blond.

"Can I touch you... _more_?" Prompto asked softly, and he could feel Noctis stiffen, as if he had pushed the wrong button. 

He was about to take it back when Noctis looked away, probably in embarrassment, and nodded once. "It's... it's okay. If it's you. I... I _want_ you to touch me. But... But I'm... scared," he whispered and Prompto nodded. He understood why Noctis would feel like this, even without whatever trauma he had anyone would be scared to get touched so intimately by someone else.

"We'll take it slow," he promised, although he just wanted to squeeze and hug his boyfriend and thank him for humoring him like this. "I won't hurt you."

"I'm not... afraid that it will hurt," Noctis breathed with just a tiny frown, bravely rolling his hips against Prompto's leg, eliciting a gasp from the blond. "But... can you... do it? Like, _everything_? We can... we can talk about it later..."

"Whenever you're ready," Prompto promised and kissed his boyfriend's temple. He coaxed him to look up, come up enough that he could kiss him again and while they kissed, he slipped a hand under his shirt, spreading his fingers over the prince's hot skin on his back. He could feel where the skin was soft and not as thick because of the scar, could feel Noctis shiver against him as he kept exploring and then latched onto the prince's neck as they had to break the kiss.

As Noctis gasped for air, he gathered his courage and ran his hand over the strip of skin where Prompto's shirt had ridden up on his hip. Since he hadn't expected that move, Prompto gasped and stopped his ministrations on Noctis' neck to gather his own wits again.

He moved his hand back down and squeezed Noctis' ass, which elicited another gasp from the prince's lips. Smiling to himself, Prompto shifted them around until they were both lying on their sides, facing each other and Noctis' with his back to the couch.

"Prompto?" Noctis asked, sounding both confused and just a tad bit afraid, but Prompto just kissed him again.

"It'll be easier like this," Prompto whispered and captured Noctis' lips in another deep kiss. "Trust me?"

"...yeah," Noctis breathed and relaxed after a moment. "With my life..."

Prompto smiled and leaned forward to press their lips together soundly, wiggling his hand out from beneath the both of them, running it up Noctis' inner thigh from just above his knee. He listened carefully for the other's reactions and stopped when Noctis tensed with a startled gasp. Only when he relaxed a moment later did Prompto continue to move his hand upwards again, repeating the movement patiently whenever Noctis would tense up.

When Prompot's hand finally covered the prince's crotch through his pants, they were both so high-strung that Prompto was afraid he would just cum on the spot. The sounds that Noctis was making didn't help in any way either, nor how he squirmed against him.

"Prom... Prompto, it feels good," Noctis gasped, full of wonder as if Prompto had just shown him a living Astral.

"It does, doesn't it?" Prompto breathed, gently squeezing the hot flesh that was already drooling so much precum that stained both his boxers and even his pants, leaving a wet patch that Prompto could feel. "Can I touch you more?"

" _Please_ ," Noctis all but whined, bucking his hips forward into Prompto's hand just to gasp from the friction that created.

"Sure," Prompto purred, moving his hand up enough so that he could slip it into his boyfriend's pants and cup his erection directly.

"Prompto!" Noctis gasped and then curled up with another series of gasps, clinging to Prompto's arms as if he was afraid of falling, burying his face into the blond's shoulders as his body shivered and spasmed, legs twitching uncontrollably.

Prompto's eyes widened as he realized that Noctis lost control over his body because he was having an orgasm. He could feel his boyfriend's dick pulsing in his pants because he was cumming _right then_. Holding his breath as he moved his hand loosely, Prompto encouraged Noctis to follow his instincts, to let his body take control, gently taking him through his orgasm that ended with Noctis curled into him. The prince panted and Prompto would have been closer to his own completion if he didn't feel like falling off the edge of the couch any moment now. He was still painfully hard himself, but it was more important to him to make sure that Noctis was comfortable.

"Holy... _Holy Six_ ," Noctis gasped when he was able to form words again. 

Prompto smirked and gently pulled his hand from Noctis' pants. "Seems like it's really different if you're doing it with someone you like."

Noctis looked at him with his stormy blue eyes still blown wide with arousal, then he snorted. "Seems like it..." He took another deep breath and closed his eyes as if he wanted to fall asleep. Prompto would have let him, too, even with his own raging erection, but the prince opened his eyes a moment later and looked up at him.

"What about you?" Noctis asked, moving his hand hesitantly from the blond's back to his side.

"I'm fine," Prompto replied with a sheepish laugh. "I can take care of it myself. Not like I don't have practice."

He tried to laugh it off, but Noctis' frown shut him off pretty quickly. 

"I... I can do it for you," the prince said, determined, as he moved his hand brusquely into Prompto's pants. They both gasped when it came into contact with the blond's hot dick and Noctis stared down with wide eyes as if he was doing something forbidden.

"You... you don't have to," Prompto breathed when Noctis didn't move his hand any further than his fingertips to the base of his dick.

"No, you... I... I _want_ to," Noctis replied, frowning down at his own hand before he looked up with the same determination as before. "Because it's _you_."

Prompto's eyes widened as his heart skipped a beat and then he smiled.

"I'm in your care," he whispered, leaning forward to press a kiss to Noctis' forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Noctis sighed and brushed their lips together as he started moving his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I wrote most of this for chapter 36 in the beginning. But I thought they were moving too fast, so I added a little more slow-burn for us all. I was really stressed out over this, but I think it's better now. The get-together is important, but even if I don't want them to face obstacle after obstacle in their relationship, there should be some build-up to their relationship, right? 
> 
> Also, I want to remind you that these two are 27 years old by now. And yes, Prompto is still a virgin. (Poor boy.)
> 
> Reminder: Promptis NSFW Week starts this Thursday! Look forward to me posting the porniest stuff here I could think off! (Or avoid it, whichever sails your boat.)
> 
> We have a [Discord](https://discord.gg/PAqXGrn) that we use to talk about a lot of things. Join if you like!


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis takes Prompto to Altissia, just like he promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, are you enjoying the NSFW Week so far?
> 
> Speaking of which, I completely forgot to post the links to Banira's artwork lately. She drew a few submissions for the week set later in Outsomnia, so here have a few links:  
> [Regis from Chapter 36 (SFW)](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/177278915326/hehe-a-little-something-for-chapter-36-i-love)  
> [Later Outsomnia, but you might recognize a detail. (NSFW)](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/176222067786/i-have-been-super-busy-and-i-am-still-struggling) ;3  
> [Later Outsomnia (NSFW Promptis Week Day 1, Noctis Birthday)](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/177559324321/promptis-week-nsfw-magic-magic-usage)  
> [Later Outsomnia (NSFW Promptis Week Day 3) with bit bondage and paint play](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/177631291681/promptis-week-nsfw-bdsm-breath-play-consensual) (I really love Noctis' expression in the last pic here! And Prompto's too!)  
> [Extra for Day 3](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/177650536811/a-little-behind-the-scenes-for-my-day-3-entry-of)

Prompto was sure that Noctis really wanted to talk to him about his... _issues_ , for a lack of a better word, but even as the prince moved his hand over Prompto's crotch, he could feel how tired he was and after the prince had fallen asleep in his arms before he could cum, Prompto didn't have the heart to wake him up again. The previous months had been exhausting enough for him; he didn't need Prompto to remind him that he wanted to do something that he wasn't all too comfortable with.

Naturally, they _didn't_ talk about it after they woke up the following day. It fell through for the next few months, during which Noctis was busy keeping up the negotiations with all parts of Lucis, secretly reinforcing their bonds in case of a Niflheim attack. He had to make a lot of phone calls, sometimes travel at one day's notice to all parts of Lucis. In April, a few weeks after Resurrection Day, he had just returned from a trip to Lestallum when Accordo called to demand his presence.

Luckily for Prompto, Noctis immediately asked him to come to Altissia with him, making good on his promise to show him around some day. Sure, Noctis would have to spend a whole day talking to Mrs. Claustra, but one day was nothing compared to the numbers of days that Noctis had spent away from home for other negotiations. And even if it took longer, having Prompto by his side kept him sane, or so he said.

Prompto didn't know what to expect from the floating city, just taking the ferry to Altissia was breathtaking enough. Noctis told him about all the fishes you could catch, too, and Prompto must have taken a million pictures of the wide blue of the ocean, the gentle waves, fishes of all sizes. During their trip, Noctis had caught quite a few of them and whenever he hauled one on board he looked so happy and proud that Prompto didn't have the heart to tell him he would be much rather be somewhere more private so that they could kiss.

Ever since that first time he and Noctis had gone further than kisses, Prompto had been craving his touch. He tried not to let it show, because he was still aware that Noctis was uncomfortable with physical things, but just thinking about the way his face scrunched up and how his whole body had shook when he had cum in his pants on the couch on Valentine's day had been enough for Prompto to fuel his imagination in the past months. It was as if the image had burnt itself into his brain, because he would see it before his inner eye at the most unfortunate moments.

It was okay as long as it didn't affect his artistic output. When he realized though that he had started sketching Noctis' face every time he picked up a pen, Prompto knew that it was too much, so he concentrated on taking pictures again. Sure, most of them were of Noctis as well as Noctis and himself, but his camera roll was filled with more pictures from the past months than he had of the last years combined and it was nice for a change.

So, for their trip to Altissia, he had packed some condoms and his lube, even if he didn't expect anything to happen. Just being together with Noctis, seeing him smile for a change, being _able_ to make him smile after months of only seeing him exhausted, was enough for Prompto.

At least that was what he kept telling himself.

His subconscious however kept supplying him with increasingly more ways that he and Noctis could get intimate and recreate the moment on the couch. But it still irked Prompto that he didn't know _why_ Noctis was so averse to anything related to intimate touches. So far, he had only worked out that something traumatizing must have happened in his past, but he could see that Noctis was making a conscious effort to overcome that trauma with him. The surprised glances and other expressions he made after some of their makeout sessions spoke volumes about this and for every time Prompto sensed Noctis pushing himself further, Prompto felt himself falling more for his boyfriend. 

No one had ever really made an effort for him. Well, maybe two people, one being his caretaker and the other being Cidney, to a certain degree. But he might have been projecting because everyone else in college was so focused on himself that his friendship with Cidney was kind of special, because they shared some extracurricular interests. Yohsuke and Bellis were nice, too, but they didn't go out of their way as much as Noctis did. They made sure he was healthy, but only because they were interested in his talent. But that was what Prompto was interested in from them as well, so he didn't think too much about the repercussions.

For the first time, however, Prompto knew he had someone he could rely on, who was genuinely interested in _him_ , his problems and feelings and that alone was reason enough to love Noctis.

Still, the single glimpse he had seen of what he was like on the throws of passion had sparked the urge to see more and there was nothing that Prompto wanted more than to explore his primal side. It was becoming somewhat of an obsession, making him spend a little longer in the shower to masturbate almost every morning. But he couldn't just go out there, see his gorgeous boyfriend and greet him with a hard-on. That would be both embarrassing and humiliating, but Prompto's hormones were running amok after being together for more than a year with nothing more than a hand job and super intense kisses.

It didn't help that Altissia was one of the most beautiful cities Prompto had ever been to.

Scratch that. It was _the_ most beautiful city Prompto had ever been to.

Sure, he had said that about Tenebrae as well, but where the home of the Oracle had this... _earthy_ feeling with its plants and flowers and organic architecture, Altissia was _water_.

There were canals everywhere, gondolas took you to most parts of the city and the constant white noise of waterfalls was both soothing and exciting. The alleys were long and romantic, hidden enough to steal kisses without being seen by strangers. Prompto took photos of everything, of every corner and every old-fashioned tower, the fountains and open restaurants and he loved every bit of it.

Prompto spent so much time exploring the city on his own while Noctis was talking to the governor that he exhausted himself. They met after dinner and then just kind of fell asleep in their bed at the hotel, wrapped in the warmth of each other and the gentle breeze that came from the ocean.

They slept in the following day, and only woke up at noon. After a quick shower respectively, Prompto pulled Noctis along to a nearby café where they had a café au lait and some biscuits before he proceeded to show Noctis his most favorite places from his tour of yesterday.

They took a gondola and held hands all the time it took them to get from one side of the city to the other. Sure, they only saw a fraction of what Prompto had seen the day before, but it was definitely more fun to see Noctis' face light up with every anecdote he told him. He was still excited over the place despite seeing everything for the second time, so he was sure that Noctis appreciated his enthusiasm just as much as Prompto appreciated his presence.

In return, he got to hear more about the accident that led to Noctis' injury. He knew what had been released to the media and what Noctis had told him when he had seen his scars before, but Noctis told a story with slightly different details. The way he explained it, it was less an accident, but an act of terror, leading to the death of the people accompanying him from his leisure trip from Altissia back to Insomnia.

A herd of animals had attacked the convoy, but they had never been seen in the part of Leide before. As Noctis kept talking, Prompto learned that everything led back to a group of Niflheim separatists that didn't like how much control Lucis had over them. They were prosecuted, but the public never learned about the real background.

Now that Prompto knew these facts, it had him thinking back to the King's current relapses, since they had been coming pretty regularly now. Whenever Regis was getting better, good enough that Prompto thought he could get out of bed soon, he would get hit by a relapse that hit him worse than the one before. It was a vicious cycle and up to this point, Prompto had simply thought that it was just the injury. But maybe it was more than just that.

As they arrived at a restaurant that governor Claustra had recommended to Noctis, Prompto forgot about everything he wanted to say about the matter though. They weren't just surrounded by other guests, but a fresh market that sold specialties from all over Eos. What better place to open up a restaurant than here, surrounded by fresh ingredients, the best you could imagine?

Needless to say, everything was good, and both Noctis and Prompto lost track of time and count of the bottles of wine they drank as they talked about everything and nothing. They enjoyed this moment of tranquility together, just being themselves without a care in the world. 

It was midnight when the waiter told Noctis that they wanted to close shop. After they had overcome their surprise that it was this late already, they stumbled back to their hotel, arm in arm, laughing until somebody yelled at them to be quiet.

Chuckling, they returned to their hotel and entered the elevator to their floor. In the elevator, Noctis leaned in to place a sloppy kiss on Prompto's lips and after a moment of surprise, Prompto kissed back fervently, pulling Noctis flush against him until he felt him melt against him. Or, well, pass out because he became a little unresponsive as he slumped against his side, face buried into Prompto's shoulder. Once they reached their floor, Prompto half-carried, half-dragged his boyfriend into their room and deposited him on top of the covers.

He huffed a breath and kicked his leg, but Noctis kept snoring lightly and didn't even move when Prompto pulled off his shoes.

"Come on, man, are you really going to fall asleep on me like this?"

Instead of an answer, Noctis just grunted.

"Seriously, you're such a lightweight," Prompto huffed and got onto the bed to start undress Noctis.

It wasn't the first time he did this after they had drank too much alcohol, but this time, he was still buzzing with arousal from the kiss earlier and the kind of magical atmosphere here in Altissia which made everything a little more romantic. Thus, he took his time getting the shirt off Noctis' body, uncovering his cream-colored chest slowly, letting his hands caress every new inch of naked skin. Noctis hummed and leaned into Prompto's touch, sighing when he was lowered back onto the bed.

But still, Noctis gave no sign at all of waking up. So Prompto continued to undress him slowly by working his fly open before he pulled his black skinny jeans all the way off, leaving him only in socks and black boxer briefs. 

At least he had dressed for the occasion. Prompto snorted and shed his own shirt and climbed back onto the bed, but since Noctis was still spread eagle, he had little to no space to lie down. He looked at his naked form appreciatively, following every line and curve with his eyes and wondered when he would be allowed to touch the other even more. Fueled by the alcohol in his system, Prompto decided to straddle his boyfriend's waist and looked down at his beautiful sleeping face, hoping that it would make Noctis wake up.

But the prince didn't even stir.

Prompto sighed and thought about a course of action. After a moment, he leaned down and buried his face in Noctis' shoulder, blowing a raspberry there. Noctis squeaked and woke up, trying half-heartedly to push Prompto off, but all he managed was to divert the raspberries into a kiss on the lips, which took off where they had ended it in the elevator.

Sighing softly, Prompto lowered himself a bit as the kiss deepened, shivering when Noctis ran his fingers through his hair. He hummed and let his tongue dance with Noctis', who kissed back just as sloppily. After a moment he started giggling, effectively breaking the kiss, which Prompto took as his chance to pepper kisses back down to his boyfriend's neck.

"Prompto," Noctis sighed, giggles subsiding as they turned into a sigh. His hand was still in Prompto's hair and stayed there even as the blond moved his kisses from his neck down to his chest.

"Tell me when to stop," Prompto whispered and started nibbling along Noctis' collarbone. He worshipped the shape with his lips until he got to the prince's sternum, following a line down to the star-shaped birthmark of the Lucii. Prompto half-expected Noctis to stop him, but instead, the other just encouraged him by pushing him further into his skin. Prompto soaked up his warmth through his lips, letting them move over his chest.

Noctis gasped when Prompto's lips brushed over his nipples, arching his back just enough that the movement did wonders to Prompto's arousal. Something in Prompto's brain was screaming at him that they needed to talk before they took this any further, but Noctis' hand in his hair kept pushing him further down and Prompto followed it easily, ending up on his belly button. It was in the middle of a gentle six pack that came from years of working out with Gladio and was quivering in this very moment. Prompto knew that if he looked down, he could see the other's arousal straining against the black fabric of the boxer briefs, its heat radiating against his throat already.

Prompto placed another kiss just below Noctis' belly-button where his lucky trail started and looked up then, curious and expectant. "Noctis... Can I... Can I go on?"

Noctis was panting already, but his hand was _still_ in Prompto's hair and it didn't seem like he would take it away any time soon. He tightened his hold when Prompto stopped kissing him, and looked down with a glazed over look that Prompto burned into his memory. Really, it was a good look on him and Prompto wanted to see that look a lot more often.

"What... what is on your mind?" Noctis breathed, blinking owlishly.

Prompto inhaled deeply, licking his lips. He knew what he wanted to do, had pictured it countless times in his head, but putting it into words and speak them out loud was something entirely different. 

"I... My mouth... on... on you... your..." Prompto stammered, feeling his cheeks heat up with embarrassment over his own inability to do dirty talk, no matter how much he wanted to do it.

"-Yeah," Noctis breathed and nodded. "Please...? I want you to... to blow me...?"

To say that Prompto was surprised would have been an understatement. But to hear Noctis _ask_ to do something sexual to him was almost enough to make him feel dizzy with arousal.

"You sure?" He felt compelled to ask. Noctis only nodded shyly in return and Prompto sighed, glad that he was back to his usual self. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking out of him just a moment ago?

"Okay... Tell me to stop if you need me to," Prompto promised as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of Noctis' boxers and pulled them down slowly. Unconsciously, he held his breath and watched with wide eyes as he slowly revealed his boyfriend's dick for the first time for him to see. He almost gasped from the suspense when the flesh sprung free and came to rest against his hip.

Prompto couldn't keep his eyes off it and he licked his lips hungrily, disposing of the underwear somewhere to the side of the bed. It was shaped _perfectly_ , but when was something not perfect about Noctis? It had a good length, maybe a bit longer even than Prompto's but it looked thinner, with it's dark pink head poking out of his foreskin. And was that a mole just on the underside? Prompto snorted, because he had never thought that he would be _hungry_ for another guy's dick, but here he was, craving Noctis'.

"Prom..." his boyfriend breathed and Prompto saw this as his sign to get going. He took a deep breath, steeled himself and then leaned forward to lick a straight line over Noctis' dick from the base to the tip.

The prince groaned and shivered, and when Prompto did it again, it elicited the same reaction. Prompto smiled, hummed and then licked over Noctis' dick a few more times, feeling it harden under his ministrations. He picked it up with his right hand and continued licking, always a little wary that Noctis might push him away.

But Noctis did nothing like that. Quite the contrary, he seemed to enjoy Prompto's first blowjob immensely, just like the blond himself. Sure, Noctis' skin had tasted a little bit weird at first, but it wasn't too bad, so he wrapped his lips around the darkly flushed head after a while. That taste was... well, _weird_ , but Prompto didn't mind it too much, even as he twirled his tongue under the rim of the glans.

What made the strange taste worth though was the way Noctis keened and threw his head back. Prompto couldn't help but moan when he realized that Noctis was _enjoying_ himself and not just pushing himself to do something Prompto wanted to do.

Every once in a while he panicked a little because he had no idea if what he was doing was good. But as he listened to Noctis' moans and watched his body writhe, he could tell how to please the other right. When he hummed, Noctis cried out his name and all the panic in his head started to disappear.

Noctis was relaxed and Prompto couldn't detect any signs of discomfort from him, which puzzled him because what about all the times before? Was this the great breakthrough? 

Whatever it was, Prompto decided to simply enjoy the moment for what it was. This was their first time together doing something explicitly sexual and they were both enjoying it. Thus, Prompto continued to do his best, licking Noctis' dick like it was the most delicious thing in the world.

And maybe it was. Because for whatever reasons, Prompto was enjoying it so much that he could feel himself getting closer to his own orgasm as well.

"Prom, _please_ , I'm close," Noctis gasped, obviously speaking without thinking. His fingers tightened in the blond's hair, making Prompto moan once again. He bobbed his head a few more times until Noctis tensed, his whole body going taut, and then he came with a low and guttural groan that went straight to Prompto's groin.

He was so surprised by Noctis cumming that he didn't pull away. Maybe it was better this way, not leaving any evidence behind in what he assumed was a pretty expensive hotel. However, tasting cum wasn't really what Prompto had been looking forward to as a midnight snack, so he swallowed quickly to get rid of the taste in his mouth.

Coughing and panting after he pulled off, Prompto looked up to see Noctis still spread eagle, naked in all his glory. He was panting and there was a big smile on his face.

"Good?" Prompto asked as he crawled upwards and flopped down into the crook of his boyfriend's shoulder and arm, throwing his own arm over the other's middle. He ignored his own hard-on, needing to bask in the other's beauty for the moment.

"The best ever," Noctis admitted with a sigh and then giggled sheepishly. "Thank you."

Snorting softly, Prompto shook his head. "Thanks for letting me do this."

There was a moment of silence between them, before Noctis turned around to lie on his side, his hand trailing down Prompto's stomach, bolder than the blond would have thought. He sucked in his stomach, with a gasp and couldn't help but be proud when Noctis didn't pull his hand away. Quite the contrary, he found his way into Prompto's pants and wrapped his hand around the base of the blond's straining erection. Prompto gasped, surprised that Noctis' hand was warm, and bucked into the tunnel it formed.

"Fuck," Noctis breathed and tightened his hold, making Prompto gasp again. He rolled onto his back so that he could open his own fly and push his pants down and Noctis followed him, keeping his arm under Prompto's head as he sought out his lips for another kiss. Prompto stiffened, when the gentle breeze of Altissia caressed the tip of his dick, because he was sure that the taste of cum in his mouth wasn't the greatest, but melted when Noctis didn't seem to mind. .

"Noct," he breathed in between kisses, bucking his upwards as he pulled Noctis further down, deepening the kiss. Even if he had masturbated this morning in the shower to take the edge of things, he felt like bursting right then. Carding his fingers through Noctis' dark hair, he couldn't think of anything that would make this any better.

"I love you," he gasped as he had to break the kiss, bucking up harder as he felt his orgasm drawing closer. "I'm close, keep going, _please_!"

Noctis just hummed as he kept looking into Prompto's eyes, his gaze so intense that Prompto had to close his eyes. His orgasm approached right that moment anyway. 

"Noct!" He cried as he came, the tension collecting in the pit of his stomach before everything went white and he reached his peak, spilling his cum over his own stomach. Sure, he had orgasmed before, but never as intensely as then. On the other hand, never before had Noctis been as forward as this, never before had he touched him as boldly as he still was doing now. He milked the last droplets of cum from him before he realized there wasn't much more left and then just wiped his hand lazily on the blond's stomach.

Prompto collapsed back onto the bed just to be gathered into a hug. Lifting heavy arms, he hugged Noctis back, running his hands lazily over his boyfriend's back, over the now familiar scar and he breathed in the scent of sweat and Noctis' cologne.

"Thank you," Noctis whispered into the crook of his neck and nuzzled closer, and Prompto couldn't help but snort, even as he tried to angle his stomach away.

"Dude, you just... _you_ just did that. That wasn't me," he said softly, running his hand down to Noctis' ass and squeezed gently.

"No... I don't mean this," Noctis sighed and pushed himself back down. He studied Prompto's face for a moment and then rolled onto his back. "You... I never thought I'd wanted to... do these kinds of things again, but you're just... I want to make you happy like this so much. You looked so good..."

"Hey, same here," Prompto huffed as he turned his head to Noctis before he gathered his last bits of strength to prop himself up on his side. "Just... don't you think you should tell me what's been going on? After all... this was my first time..."

Noctis turned to look at him and blinked in surprise. "Really?"

Prompto nodded sheepishly.

"Wow, you haven't been lying when you said you had no experience... Could have fooled me there," Noctis snorted.

"Guess I'm a natural then... What can I say? I aim to please," Prompto smirked, albeit just for show. "I take that this wasn't your first time?"

At this point, Prompto didn't judge Noctis, but he was curious _who_ that other lucky person was. And as he had expected, Noctis shook his head bashfully.

"No... Well, it was my first time with someone I liked," he clarified.

Prompto's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?"

Once again, Noctis just moved his head, but this time he nodded. "My... my first time was about five years ago, with a girl that I met on a date that Ignis had arranged for me... She was nice enough, we got along for the while the date lasted and... well. It wasn't the first date that Ignis had arranged for me, but one of the better ones."

"Why would he do that?" Prompto asked, because he couldn't see the advisor's motive. Wouldn't it be risky to have someone get so close to the crown prince?

"To stop me from playing in a band," Noctis shrugged, lifting the hand with the remnants of Prompto's cum to stare at it in fascination.

"He thought that... you needed to date instead of making music?" Wow, that was, like, _totally_ weird.

"Yeah, he thought it was saver for me to sow my wild oats like that than to stand in front of a crowd of people. And, well, my dad and the council thought so, too, and Gladio, and everyone else. So I thought this girl was nice enough and... Well, one thing led to another and she kissed me, pushed me onto the bed and gave me a blow-job and I thought, 'hey, this isn't so bad?' A little later I realized that I might have been wrong," Noctis sighed.

Prompto listened closely. He couldn't believe that his boyfriend was finally opening up about the one thing that Prompto had been curious about the most. Then again, he couldn't believe that he had just had _almost_ -sex with Noctis.

"You just like blow-jobs, huh?" He teased, but there was no bite behind it.

"For a while? I don't know, that part was nice, but the rest was just... I couldn't keep it up, no matter how I tried, no matter how much _she_ tried and it just ended up being _really_ awkward until she finally decided to call it a day." Noctis added sheepishly.

As much as Prompto wanted to hear details he didn't need them. Hearing Noctis open up about what had caused him a trauma was enough to make him feel special.

"That... I can't even imagine what it must have been like," he breathed, afraid to talk any louder. "I'm sorry your first experience had to be like this."

Noctis smiled sheepishly at him. "I'm sorry your first time was with someone like me."

"Don't say something like that," Prompto shook his head before he collapsed onto Noctis' shoulder again. "It was the best first time I could ask for. Well. The best first blowjob I ever gave to anyone."

"Well, it was a pretty awesome one," Noctis said honestly, and snorted just as Prompto giggled. 

"Better than the one of that girl?" Prompto teased, although he was secretly afraid of the answer.

"Hm... Well, her technique was better, but yours was definitely better for _me_ ," Noctis smirked, his eyes falling shut more and more each moment. He yawned before he said, "Because, as you said, sex _is_ better with someone you love."

"Well, gotta trust your judgement then, because I don't have anything to compare," Prompto gave back, stifling a yawn himself. "I love you, too."

The room fell into silence after that and they both fell into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what? I also wrote this for the NSFW Promptis Week 2018! Did you even realize I changed the rating? :D  
> Day 05: **Oral** || Being pinned/fucked against the wall || “Holy shit, dude. Did you just make that sound?”
> 
> Also, I know the big reveal about the reason for Noctis' trauma wasn't that big, but not everything is, right? He's getting there though and the alcohol really did help. ;3 Awkward little prince.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the had returned from Altissia, Prompto looked forward to tell Regis about their progress, as embarrassing as it was to talk about these things with your boyfriend's father. Surely, the king would be curious to know that they had finally taken a step forward _and_ that Noctis had opened up to him about his past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: sorry that we took a week to publish this chapter. But we do think it was worth the wait. :D  
> On the other hand, Banira and I regret not posting this special chapter last week, because it would have been so nice to get it out on our 15th anniversary. Well, here we are now, one week later and we still hope that you will like it.
> 
> As started in last week, Banira drew one more Outsomnia picture for the NSFW Promptis Week Day 7: [First time rough sex (backstage, semi public) ](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/177775793981/day-7-rough-sex-first-times-i-know-this-is)
> 
> Also, for some reason we both forget about this sfw picture for chapter 37: [Kiss for Chapter 37 (behind the toilet)](http://layann.tumblr.com/post/178150981501/a-little-quick-something-i-did-for-chapter-37-of)

After the had returned from Altissia, Prompto looked forward to tell Regis about their progress, as embarrassing as it was to talk about these things with your boyfriend's father. Surely, the king would be curious to know that they had finally taken a step forward _and_ that Noctis had opened up to him about his past.

He was devastated to find the king looking even worse than the last time he had seen him. All of his energy seemed to be sucked out of him, and all that was left of him was a weak hull.

No wonder why Noctis looked so stressed after every time he visited his father. Since Prompto stayed by his side to keep him company, he didn't quite see the decay, but since Noctis only saw snapshots of his father's waning health, he could better assess the severity of the situation.

Regis seemed to regain his strength though when Prompto told him about Altissia, showed him his photos and gushed about how he thought that Noctis seemed to become a good and just king. Maybe it was a bit counterproductive, but Prompto hoped that if Regis didn't have to worry about his successor, he could direct more strength to his own healing process. And it seemed to work.

Instead of a relapse every two weeks, Regis seemed to be able to recover just fine. Slowly, sure, but steadily. By the beginning of May, Regis was able to sit up for the first time in months and he shared one of those Tenebraen pastries with Prompto over tea, just to have Noctis join them later. They talked about everything and nothing, but somehow Regis managed to steer the conversation towards topics that made both his son and his boyfriend blush.

The most harmless one was that Regis was trying to convince them to get married. He would personally talk to the council to make sure there were no legal barriers for them, put down a law or a decree or whatever, to ensure that Noctis could marry whomever he wanted.

It was nice to see an old man being as supportive as this. On the other hand, at the age of 56, Regis should be at his prime age and not withering away like someone way over 80. The members in the council were much older than him and each and every one of them looked fitter than the King. Prompto noted that there had been an exchange in staff with the nurses and that they had changed the schedule of exchanging the IV a bit around, too.

Aside from caring for the King of his country, Prompto and Noctis worked on the next single for Monsters of the Deep. Even as everyone told Noctis to take it slow, to take a break from the band if he was stressed out from the work as the acting leader of the country. But he insisted that music was the one thing that kept him sane, that cleared the dark thoughts in his head, so they didn't bother telling him to cut that back again. In return, Noctis gave a little more than his usual 120% while singing the lyrics for the upcoming single that they would publish by the end of July1. It had one of Prompto's favorite songs on its B-side2, its title translated roughly to 'evening sun' and Prompto remembered how he had scribbled the lyrics down on a scrap of paper while Noctis had sat down with him one evening in the gazebo on top of the Citadel with him as Prompto tried to capture the colors of the sunset in a painting as well as many, many photographs.

When he was talking to Noctis about recording it, he said that he wanted to capture the feeling of a bird soaring over Insomnia, Leide and even further to Galahd, Accordo and Tenebrae, and even the icy mountains of Niflheim. Noctis' voice was dripping with emotions because Prompto's words had obviously captured the feeling of his many travels all over Eos recently.

It was the first song that Prompto showed Regis with his old iPod. The king looked a bit funny with the earphones but he closed his eyes and when the song was over, Prompto was sure that his eyes were glossed over with tears.

"That is a beautiful song, son," Regis said as he handed the iPod back. "It compliments Noctis' voice perfectly. I'm proud of you both. and the rest of your group."

" _Band_ , sir," Prompto replied and chuckled as he put the device back into his bag. "I don't know what Noct did with it though, it's much better than I even intended it to be. I hope it's good for the fans, too." 

"They will love it, I'm sure, son," Regis smiled, putting a frail hand on Prompto's shoulders to squeeze them in a fatherly gesture. It tugged on Prompto's heartstrings to see the king like this, but then again, to him, he wasn't the King of Lucis first and foremost, but the father of his boyfriend and Regis had done his best to become something like a father to him as well after he had learned that Prompto had grown up without a real family. 

Still, whenever Regis called him ' _son_ ', Prompto felt the almost uncontrollable urge to burst into tears. By getting to know Noctis, he hadn't just gotten his best friend turned lover, but also a family that he loved more than anything in his life before. It didn't even matter that he was dealing with royalty, he just loved Noctis and Regis back for putting up with him so much.

Of course, Prompto told Noctis about that when they sat on the couch in his apartment in the Citadel, playing video games. They had a rare evening and following morning off together and Prompto was itching to do _something_. Who needed sleep anyway when you had the most gorgeous, adorable and dorkiest boyfriend in the whole wide world? Especially when he hadn't shaven in more than a day and was sporting a cute 5 o'clock shadow.

They hadn't repeated exactly what had happened in Altissia in the last month. However, the amount of hand jobs had increased, and by then Prompto was very familiar with what kinds of sounds of pleasure Noctis could make.

However, he didn't know how to begin the talk that would finally lead to the next step in their relationship.

To his great surprise, it was Noctis who beat him to it.

After finishing their last round of the beat'em up, Noctis suddenly paused the game and put the controller onto the table before he turned to Prompto. He took a deep breath and held it, his whole body looking a little tense.

"Prom...pto. I think... I think I'm ready," Noctis said then, determined, with that little crease of concentration between his brows, even as he deflated slightly with the breath that he let go. 

"Ready to get your ass beaten? Because that's what I'm planning to do," Prompto smirked and wriggled his eyebrows.

"No... I mean... more... Like, um, my body is ready," he said sheepishly with a crooked smile.

Prompto's eyes widened and he almost dropped the controller as his mouth fell open, his poor heart doing a leap start. He wanted to make a joke about Noctis' choice of words, but he was too stunned to hear them right then, _right there_ , staring completely flabbergasted at his boyfriend.

"Like... _right now_?" he asked, his voice coming out as a croak because his throat was suddenly inexplicably dry.

* * *

Noctis nodded, although he could feel his resolve faltering from Prompto's disbelieving reactions. Ever since opening up after Prompto's blow job in Altissia he had tried to imagine what it would be like to have sex with Prompto. Well, sex like he had tried with that girl back then, even though he had no real idea how it worked with two guys. Blow jobs were nice, but he knew that there was more. And from what his dad kept saying as well as from the way Prompto would sometimes look at him, Noctis knew that there _was_ more.

"Y-yeah?" he replied, suddenly feeling very insecure again. "I mean, um, if you're not in the mood or if you don't want to, that's fine with me, but... But I think I'm ready."

"...You mean your body is ready," Prompto smirked as he teased him good-naturedly.

"Yeah," Noctis breathed with a nervous chuckle. "That was stupid, right? Alright, I think my mind and my body are ready if... if you will have me."

Prompto took a deep breath as he put his controller onto the coffee table as well, turning around to face Noctis with a serious expression. "Dude..." he started, then bit his lip and his eyes flickered away again.

"...you've been ready since Altissia?" Noctis helped with a crooked smile. "I'm sorry I took so long."

Prompto raised his hands in protest. "No, no, no! It's fine! I... I really don't want to push you or anything! The fact that _I'm_ ready has nothing to do with _you_ being ready. I can wait... I'd wait forever for you. Because I... I understand how hard it is for you. You're pushing yourself much farther than I am-"

"I'm not pushing myself," Noctis said as he scooted closer, placing a hand on Prompto's cheek. "I love you. I... _want_ you. But... I don't want to ruin this for you..." He hesitated going on, watching Prompto's wide violet blue eyes through the pair of glasses that he wore. "Do you... think you can handle taking the lead?"

The blonde sucked in a breath as his eyes danced from one side of Noctis' face to the other, obviously nervous. "You want me to...?"

Shyly, Noctis nodded. "Y-yeah... I... I don't know how it works - I mean, theoretically I do, but - I... I trust you more than I trust myself with this. You've been so good to me, the best, and I... this is what I think will be best. For both of us." His faltering resolve reached a new low and he was about to call it off, but how could he now? After telling Prompto that he was ready? Besides, he really did want to do this with him, wanted to have sex. Getting nervous was probably natural and as long as he didn't get a full-blown anxiety attack, Noctis was sure that he would be fine. Besides, he still had his boyfriend at his side.

Prompto took another deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment as he steeled himself. When he opened them again, the violet blue of his irises had almost completely disappeared because his pupils were blown really wide in what Noctis tried to determine as arousal. "Ho-Okay...! Yeah. I can do this. _We_ can do this." He huffed a puff of breath and then swallowed with his eyes closed once more, before he looked back into Noctis' eyes. "...Bed?"

Noctis nodded, before he leaned in and kissed Prompto quickly on the lips. "Let's go."

He got up and took Prompto's right hand, letting his fingers caress the ever present leather wristbands and pulled him over to his bedroom, where _Tenebraen Delight_ was still up on the wall, along with a few photographs of the two of them as well as flyers from Monsters of the Deep concerts that he had added over the years. But they didn't have eyes for this, because Noctis was too focused on getting onto the bed and getting Prompto to join him. 

Thankfully, the blond climbed on top of him without much coercion and they calmed down their nerves for a moment, just getting lost in a heated kiss. Noctis could feel his own tension dissipating when Prompto kissed him and he tried to think of how good the blow job in Altissia had been. And the few fumbling hand jobs in the past month, right in the middle of the night when it was just him and Prompto and he needed a moment to feel like he was himself again and not just a puppet for the government.

Noctis' moment of blissful ignorance ended when Prompto's goatee tickled his chin as the blond thrust just ever so slightly against his crotch. It took his mind back to the fact that they were about to do something he was scared of, but also that Prompto wanted _him_. That _he_ was the one who caused Prompto to stop and stare sometimes, that it was _him_ Prompto looked at right now and not his title, not the crown or the money. And if Noctis had learned anything from those late night desperate hand jobs, it was that he wanted Prompto to do all these things to him that scared him.

His body was ready, but his mind kept wandering to places that he didn't it want to be. He was worried that Prompto would be disappointed in him, just like that girl, but whenever they had done something before it turned out great and Prompto looked so happy every time afterwards. Despite everything that Noctis had done for Prompto, this was probably the biggest and most important thing that he could give the blond.

And he wanted it.

During the past week, Noctis had been fantasizing about this. It was almost as bad as when he had seen Prompto with that lipstick back in Lestallum, but not as sudden. He could conjure the daydream of kissing Prompto, of Prompto touching him and then they were joined in the most intimate way and Noctis couldn't help but imagine how good it must feel. He knew that the way to that moment would be long and awkward, but he had faith that he and Prompto could do it.

Besides, when Prompto grinded against his crotch, Noctis couldn't help but moan. It felt good, just like when Prompto touched him there.

A moment later, Noctis' breath hitched because Prompto had pushed a hand under his shirt and his fingers felt icy cold on his heated skin. His boyfriend hesitated for a moment and looked up to check Noctis' face for discomfort, but Noctis simply nodded for him to go on. He had been surprised by how cold Prompto's hands actually were. Then again, Noctis' own hands felt pretty cold as well and just that made him hesitate to put them under Prompto's shirt on his back.

As his mind was still reeling with what he should do, how he was supposed to reciprocate Prompto's touches on his body, his boyfriend broke the kiss and bunched up his shirt to his neck. He seemed to have a weird infatuation with his chest, but then again, so had Noctis. He liked putting his head on Prompto's chest to listen to his heartbeat just before they fell asleep. It was soft and warm and better than any other pillow Noctis had.

His train of thought was stopped short when Prompto pinched his nipple lightly, followed by his wet tongue on Noctis' other nipple. Slapping a hand over his mouth to stop those disgusting sounds falling from his lips, Noctis just so managed to muffle a sharp gasp, even as his body arched up into the blond's touch. He blinked down to see Prompto looking up at him with raised eyebrows. When their eyes met, he licked over Noctis' nipple again and tweaked the other, eliciting another muffled cry.

Noctis squirmed and tried to get away from the pleasurable touch, but Prompto wouldn't let up. He even sucked in his nipple, making Noctis gasp again and bite his lower lip so that he wouldn't be too loud. His pleasurable torture kept up until Noctis was sure that the room was spinning - or was that just his vision? - and just when he thought that Prompto had enough, he changed sides.

Keeping his sounds in was getting harder and harder, just like Noctis' arousal. Soon, he was a squirming mess and Prompto was nowhere near his waist, which was kind of elating and frustrating at the same time. Noctis already felt like he was bursting, but he didn't want this to end either, nor did he want to rush things. This was Prompto's first time after all and he didn't want to ruin it. 

But it seemed like Prompto didn't have any issues with anything there. He followed the dip in the middle of Noctis' chest with kisses down to his belly-button, lingering only for a second on his star shaped birthmark. For a moment, Noctis' inner eye was hit by flashbacks to his own first time and the girl doing the same kinds of movements that Prompto did, but he was unable to remember if he felt as high-strung then as he was now.

Somehow, every time Prompto's lips touched his skin, his body felt as if he was touched by an electric current, and yet, Noctis still wanted more. He should be shaking, should be a mess and with his body taut like a bow, he was surprised that he hadn't cum yet.

"Prom..." he breathed, just to feel his boyfriend's name roll off his tongue, and the blond looked up, his fingers hooked around the waistband of his sweatpants.

"If you want to stop," Prompto said, his voice a low rasp that sent shivers down Noctis' spine. "I can stop. Anytime. Just... just tell me."

Noctis blinked, because the idea of stopping was the last thing on his mind. He wanted _more_ , wanted Prompto to overwrite the dull memories of his own first time. But he knew that Prompto was just considerate, because he _loved_ him, even if he must be straining to hold back every time. Noctis' heart skipped a beat or two and he only managed to nod, even as a smile spread over Prompto's face.

"You're safe with me," Prompto reassured him and pressed a kiss to the spot where his pants ended on his belly. At the same time, he tugged at his sweatpants and underwear, carefully pulling them down and off all the way as he sat up himself.

For a moment, Noctis felt shy under the intense gaze off his boyfriend, who took off his glasses after he had raked his eyes all over Noctis mostly naked body. He knew that Prompto's vision wasn't the worst, it was even better than his own with his glasses on, and during nighttime, Prompto could practically see as well as an owl, something that Noctis envied. But, the glasses were so much a part of him that Noctis didn't even notice them anymore, only in moments like these, when he bumped into them.

Still, being under the gaze of his idolized artist made Noctis nervous, wondering if he could look better, but somehow, just like every time before, Prompto just smiled as if a naked Noctis was the most special thing in the whole world.

A part of Noctis wanted to believe that it was the truth.

He got distracted a moment later though when Prompto's shirt followed his glasses just before he leaned down and put his mouth on Noctis' fairly hard dick and started blowing him. Noctis moaned and threw his head back into the cushions as the hot tongue moved over his sensitive skin, the sensation clouding his whole thought process.

Really, of everything that had happened five years ago with that girl, the best thing that had come out of it was the fact that Noctis had learned he _really_ liked blow-jobs. What he had learned with Prompto though was that he really liked whatever Prompto did, so when these two were mixed together, it was pure heaven.

Noctis moaned again when Prompto cupped his balls, which sent a rather unexpected bolt of pleasure through him. He held his breath then, just to exhale when he got used to the feeling. Prompto hummed and Noctis choked on his moan, just to gasp when something cool and wet started probing at his asshole.

From what he had looked up on 'sex between two men', Noctis knew what to expect, however, he had no idea how it would _feel_. Also, he had no idea where and when Prompto had found and opened a tube of lube and thinking about that threw him a little out of the loop.

At first, it was uncomfortable and Prompto looked up with his lips still wrapped around his dick to make sure he was doing okay. But Noctis wanted this, so he nodded, albeit a bit nervously and closed his eyes as the blond's probing finger put pressure on his opening. He was grateful for the distraction, but as soon as Prompto had his finger inside of him, he slowed down the movements of his mouth.

Noctis couldn't stop thinking about how things were supposed to come _out of there_ and not get _inside_. But he knew that this was how it worked and he had _fantasized_ about this before, so he told himself not to chicken out now. Nodding to Prompto to continue, Noctis leaned back then to breathe in deeply, and exhale slowly just to relax. For a second he panicked because he should have cleaned himself better beforehand than just... _shower_ and clean his ass where he could reach and now he was afraid that this was going to get dirtier than he had planned. But then Prompto's finger slipped all the way inside and he had to use all of his willpower not to push it out again.

Really, sex was hard, even when you were on the receiving end.

His body however decided that he was indeed very excited, twitching when Prompto started wiggling his finger.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, his brows drawn together into a worried frown and Noctis shook his head.

"It's... a bit uncomfortable, but I'll manage," he forced out between two breaths. 

Prompto didn't look convinced, but he nodded anyway. He opened his mouth to add something, but then just closed it when Noctis added. "Please continue?"

And so Prompto did. He wiggled his finger deeper and Noctis made a conscious effort to relax and breathe evenly, because it was even more uncomfortable when he held his breath and tensed up. 

Several times Prompto murmured "relax," under his breath, and after a few times, Noctis wasn't so sure anymore that it was meant for him. By then, Prompto had managed to ease a second finger inside of him and was currently trying to stretch him open slowly. Unfortunately, he had been so concentrated on the movement of his fingers and getting enough lube on them that he had stopped giving him that magnificent blow-job. Thus, Noctis was too focused on the discomfort, the low-level pain and he couldn't quite relax as much as he wanted to. But Prompto was so deep in concentration that Noctis didn't want to disturb him, so he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he bit his lip and held his breath while Prompto probed around inside of him.

"Prom..." he began after a while anyway, just to gasp when Prompto's fingers brushed over a certain spot inside of him for the second or third time. He didn't know how often he had done it, but every little amount of pressure had built up a small ball of pleasure. It almost felt like getting his dick sucked, but on a whole different level. 

_Better._

"Was that-?" Prompto asked, looking up in wonder with a tiny crease between his eyebrows.

"Yeah, that was good, do it again!" Noctis gasped and tried to adjust himself so that Prompto could touch him easier. A moment later, Prompto's fingers brushed against that spot again and Noctis almost howled at the pleasure.

"Holy Six... what _is_ that?" Noctis heard himself demand and he flushed in embarrassment at how bossy he sounded.

"I think - I read about this. It's your prostate?" Prompto explained, huffing. "I was kind of looking for it..."

"It's good... It's really good." Noctis couldn't quite believe that his body was able to feel such a thing. He definitely didn't remember feeling this kind of ecstasy the last time he had had sex. On the other hand, he really felt like losing his virginity again, because this _was_ the first time that he was having sex like this.

Then again, this was also the first time he was having sex with someone he loved, so it was bound to be completely different than anything else he had ever done.

Prompto's shoulders seemed to relax a bit as he continued to both pleasure and torture Noctis with a gentle massage to his prostate. Even as Noctis still wondered how this part of his body could make him feel so good, Prompto continued moving his fingers and widened him carefully, eased a third finger inside that made Noctis feel almost uncomfortably full. He breathed right through the discomfort and felt his body adjust to the new girth a lot more easily than before. Still, when he thought back on how thick and heavy Prompto's dick had felt in his hand before, he didn't believe that three fingers would be enough to prepare him.

However, Prompto seemed to think that he was ready. Or he was getting impatient, which was something that Noctis couldn't even blame him for.

"Okay. I think... Is it okay if... if we continue?" Prompto asked, sounding very out of breath, as if he had run a marathon. On the other hand, Noctis mused, if Prompto ran that much, he probably would be less out of breath.

"Y-yeah," he replied, because he felt a little dumbfounded with how fast this was suddenly happening. Then again, what was he waiting for? The only thing he wanted was Prompto and as he had said before, he trusted Prompto more than himself, so if Prompto thought he was ready, then he probably was.

"Okay," Prompto said again before he worried his lip and hesitated to continue.

He stared at Noctis, let his gaze rake over the whole length of the prince's body again, and just before it could get awkward, Noctis asked, "...condom?"

Because the girl he had been with had been very adamant on using a condom with him. In hindsight, Noctis was sure that she had been instructed in detail on that by Ignis or anyone else from the court who knew about their arranged date. He was sure that he and Prompto didn't really _need_ protection, seeing how they were both healthy and didn't have any STIs or whatever scary stuff the outside world had in store for him.

"Right," Prompto huffed and straightened before he grabbed at something his waistline, which ended up being his pants. He looked a little irritated when he couldn't pull them up more and Noctis opened his mouth to say that they needed to come down. Prompto turned red and fumbled with his own fly, managed to wrestle it open and then push his pants and underwear down before he sat up properly and get off the bed to step out of his pants. Noctis could hear him huff and curse under his breath before he leaned over to the bedside table and got a condom wrapper out of the back of the drawer. He almost stumbled over his pants before he climbed back on the bed, and this time, he cursed loud enough for Noctis to make out the word "fuck".

The prince chuckled and sat up a little bit, looking at the blond's erection, with stood proudly and darkly colored between his legs. Noctis swallowed because it looked even bigger than he remembered it and he still didn't know how all of this was supposed to fit inside of him.

"Do you want me to put the condom on?" Noctis asked, because he felt a little silly that he hadn't contributed anything yet.

"No!" Prompto replied quickly and blushed at his own vehemence. 

Noctis felt his heart sink, and it must have shown on his face because Prompto added quickly, "I-it's not like I don't want to! I just... I'm afraid... I'll cum the moment you touch me..."

Feeling his own eyes widen in surprise, Noctis chuckled a moment later. He sat up properly and leaned in to cup Prompto's cheek again before he pressed a gentle kiss to his boyfriend's lips.

When he pulled away, he felt a lot more relaxed than before because he knew that Prompto was just as nervous about this as he was and that they were fumbling their way through this together.

"You can do it," Noctis breathed. "I trust you."

"I love you," Prompto whispered softly, his voice barely audible over the rush of blood in Noctis' own ears.

"I love you, too," Noctis replied, feeling like his heart was about to burst.

"I know," Prompto added and then made a face because he had said something before and the quote kind of made this a little awkward.

However, Noctis couldn't help but chuckle.

"Sorry," Prompto said before he sighed deeply. "I'll continue, okay?"

"Okay," Noctis nodded, took off his shirt and lay back down onto the blankets. He spread his legs and tried to lift his ass a little for better access while Prompto wrestled with the condom wrapper. His fingers proved to be a little too slippery from the lube still, so he ended up to rip it open with his teeth and Noctis, who had been watching him closely, inhaled sharply in surprise at how sexy this made him look. The look of concentration on his face as he unrolled the rubber onto his engorged dick was even better; he looked so handsome that Noctis fell in love with him all over again.

He slapped his hands over his face in embarrassment at the realization, which obviously prompted Prompto to look back up at him because a moment later, he pried his hands away gently.

"Hey... no need to feel embarrassed," he cooed softly and Noctis choked out a strangled laugh.

"I'm... I am. I must sound so funny."

Prompto blinked and then shook his head. "You sound great. Really. Why do you think I'm so close already? That's all because you sound so great, because you _feel_ so good, look like something out of a dirty dream and because it's _me_ who has been doing this. Stop holding back, I want to hear the way you sound."

Noctis looked at him, insecure about this, but he decided to humor Prompto this time. "Okay..."

"Hey, don't worry. So far, this is better than I have ever imagined my first time to be," Prompto admitted sheepishly. "You're doing so great, I wish I had more experience so I could make you sound even better."

"Oh man, this is so embarrassing," Noctis groaned. "Could you just... continue? I don't think you're supposed to talk this much during sex."

"Oh? Now you're the expert?" Prompto teased, leaning over to hover over his boyfriend again. "I think we're pretty much on the same page here."

Noctis looked up at him with big eyes, his heart skipping a few more beats, before he snorted. "You're still talking too much," he smiled and leaned up to shut his lover up with another kiss. "Come on, Mr. I'm-going-to-cum-when-you-touch-me. I'm waiting here."

"As you wish," Prompto smirked and then leaned down again to kiss Noctis properly. At the same time, as Noctis had his arms around his shoulders, he reached down between them, rubbing the tip of his dick over Noctis' hole, spreading more lube over it. Gasping at the sudden burst of pleasure that shot through him, Noctis lifted his ass again, trying to be of help, but it was exhausting and his back protested at the strain, until Prompto broke the kiss and looked down at him with that tiny little frown again.

"Your back?" He asked, and Noctis nodded sheepishly. "Wait."

He let go of his dick and reached up to get the second pillow to push it under Noctis' ass. Gratefully, Noctis lifted and lowered his ass onto the pillow and while it felt a little more uncomfortable than just lying down straight, it was definitely more comfortable than without the support. And as Prompto lowered himself again, the tip of his erection brushed against Noctis opening without much adjustment already and his stomach rubbed over his own erection. Gasping at the sensation, Noctis looked up to see that Prompto looked just as surprised.

"That's better, huh?" He breathed, rolling his hips forward to tease Noctis again.

"Yes... fuck," Noctis gasped and instinctively hooked a leg over Prompto's thigh.

"You want more?" Prompto asked, getting that hand between them again, guiding the tip of his dick against Noctis opening and as Noctis bucked up, he gasped when he could feel the beginning of the stretch. And yes, it felt so much bigger than just three fingers.

Still, the only thing he could say was, "Yes..."

Prompto kissed him quickly and then whispered, "Okay," before he pushed forward.

Prompto was big, thick and almost more than Noctis felt like he could handle as his fingers curled into his boyfriend's neck. It was almost brutal how with just a little pressure Prompto could get his dick into him, followed by a dull burning pain. But underneath all of these very uncomfortable feelings was the promise for more, Prompto's love and adoration and the idea of a kind of pleasure that was still to come. Even as Noctis bit back a wince, he could feel that Prompto was trying to get to that as much as he wanted to.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh _fuck_ ," Prompto chanted under his breath as he pushed in deeper and deeper, just to moan once he was all the way inside. He dropped his head on Noctis' shoulder and his hair tickled his neck, but Noctis was too lost in the thousands of sensations that he was feeling right then to be distracted by that.

"Prom," he moaned because he didn't know where to begin, but he was feeling _full_ and it was distressing and he wanted _more_ so he pulled Prompto closer and squeezed his thigh with his leg, trying to get him to _do_ something. "More?"

"Sure, but _fuck_ , you feel amazing," Prompto pressed out between gritted teeth. "Give me just... _fuck_."

Noctis snorted, but regretted it a moment later because it seemed like when he did that, he also squeezed Prompto's dick inside of him and both of them moaned almost at the same time.

"Okay, okay, okay, I'll move. Don't... don't do that again, maybe later, holy shit," Prompto gasped, just before he started pulling back and this time it was Noctis who let out a long, deep moan. The pain was still there, but somehow, with the friction that was softened by the condom and the lube, it wasn't so bad. Quite the opposite, when Prompto pushed back in and repeated the motion, the pain dulled even more and was replaced by a slowly growing kind of pleasure that took Noctis completely by surprise in its intensity.

"Holy shit," he cursed in reply to Prompto's own profanities, just to cling stronger to his shoulders and his leg. The tempo increased and he lifted his ass to meet all these needy thrusts with his own, completely lost into his own pleasure.

Just when he thought that it couldn't get any better, Prompto's dick brushed against that spot that his fingers had found earlier. The first time Noctis noticed it, he just gasped, but as Prompto kept going against that spot with better aim, he couldn't stop the moans from falling from his lips. He clung to Prompto for his dear life as bliss took him over, and it didn't take long for him to see stars. His pleasure escalated and he tried desperately to do something in return to Prompto, but there was nothing that he could do. Noctis was so lost in his euphoria that he couldn't even warn Prompto when he was close, but it seemed as if his boyfriend wasn't too far behind.

"Prompto!" He cried when he came and arched his back, pushing Prompto up as well. He collapsed back on the bed and almost cried out again when Prompto thrust into a few more times before he cried out his name as well and hugged Noctis' head close. Noctis watched in awe and if his heart hadn't been beating fast from his recent orgasm, it would have done so now, full of love and admiration for his boyfriend. He closed his eyes as his emotions threatened to overwhelm him, but he couldn't stop the single tear rolling down the corner of his eye into his hair. With just that, all of his tension was gone and he felt as light as never before in his life and he was so grateful that he had Prompto and so he did the only thing that came to his mind.

Noctis hugged his boyfriend tightly and cried into his shoulder.

"H-hey," Prompto gasped, trying to push himself up so that he could take a better look, but Noctis wouldn't let him go. "Did I hurt you? Was it bad?"

The panic in his voice nearly broke Noctis' heart, but his throat was closed up and no words would come out so he simply shook his head.

"It wasn't bad?" Prompto asked and Noctis sobbed again, but nodded.

"You're not hurt?" Prompto asked again and Noctis nodded, too.

"You're fine?" Another nod. "But you're so overwhelmed you can't talk?"

Noctis nodded again and sobbed a little harder. With everything that he could, he managed to choke out, "It was wonderful. Thank you."

"Aw, no... No need to thank me," Prompto breathed, slumping a little on top of his boyfriend. "It was my pleasure... Literally."

And somehow, that stupid joke broke the spell. Laughter bubbled out of Noctis and replaced his sobs and he just hugged Prompto tighter, needed him to be his anchor in this reality. Even though the laughter made the feeling of Prompto still inside of him uncomfortable, he couldn't stop it, especially when Prompto joined his laughter.

"I love you," Noctis said when he had calmed down enough for the laughter to subside, and he had never meant the words more than in this moment. He smiled through his tears and looked up at Prompto, feeling all mushy and vulnerable inside.

But Prompto just smiled back and hugged him tight and answered, "I love you too."

For a while, they stayed like this, until Noctis started feeling uncomfortable and began to squirm.

When he noticed it, Prompto pushed himself up and looked down. "Sorry... do you want me to get out?"

"I..." Noctis started, because _yes_ , it was starting feel really bad but _no_ , he never wanted to separate from Prompto again. It made him cling with his arms, but lift his ass so that Prompto could draw back and slip out. The feeling that followed after was weird, worse than when they started this. Feeling suddenly empty, Noctis tried his best to clench up, but it felt weird like he couldn't do it and he frustrated himself so much that he just wanted to cuddle with Prompto and never get out of bed again.

"I'll be right back, okay?" Prompto hummed and tried to get up from the bed, but since Noctis was still clinging to him, he couldn't quite do it. So, he just looked down at his boyfriend with raised eyes until they both chuckled and Noctis let go of him slowly. He then watched Prompto peel off the condom awkwardly and tie it shut before he threw it in the bin, then he took off to the bathroom, still butt naked except for the leather bands around his wrist. As he took his time to return, Noctis ran his fingers through his own drying cum on his stomach, watching in fascination how it looked like, how it felt and behaved. Usually, he was quick to get cleaned up after his own, mechanical orgasms. Now that he was basking in the aftermath of his love-making with Prompto though, he couldn't help but be fascinated with the stickiness on his stomach. Just before Prompto returned, he glanced over to the bin and wondered just how much Prompto came. There was so much on his stomach which made him wonder if it was more than usual - it sure felt like it! - but before he could think this thought any further, Prompto returned with a washcloth in his hand. His other covered his privates, robbing Noctis of the view, just as he was about to take a closer look at his own cum for the first time ever in his life.

"Let me... clean up that mess, okay? Are the sheets okay? Any wet spots?" Prompto asked as he climbed back onto the bed and started wiping over the mess on Noctis' stomach.

Noctis blinked dumbfounded and just watched the gentle strokes on his stomach, feeling a little embarrassed when it stirred something in the pit of his stomach, something between the warm and fuzzy feeling he always felt around Prompto and the excitement of having sex with him.

 _That_ thought made his cheeks heat up and he hid a giggle with a snort, just to grab Prompto by the wrist and pull him down to lie with him on the bed.

"I don't care about the wet spots. Let's just push the blankets down, there are enough of them anyway," he smiled and claimed Prompto's lips again. He could feel his boyfriend squirm just before he broke away with a gasp. 

" _I_ care! I don't want to brag with this," he flailed, just to resign himself to his fate a moment later. He sighed, dropped the folded washcloth on the floor and flopped back down on Noctis' shoulder, closing his eyes. "Seriously though... I'm sorry if this wasn't perfect. But... it exceeded _all_ of my expectations."

Noctis chuckled and turned to lie on his side, arm still under Prompto's neck. "Me too... It was _nothing_ like what I expected... It was so much better."

"Heh, thank you," Prompto replied sheepishly, blushing up to the tips of his ears. "I... take it you don't want to get back up and... continue playing?"

Noctis shook his head with an amused snort.

"Thought so," Prompto huffed and hooked an arm and a leg around his boyfriend. "Then I guess we gotta sleep."

"Mhm..." Noctis yawned.

"...I could... like, totally go again though?" Prompto offered, making Noctis laugh sheepishly.

"Dude, me too, but I don't think my _ass_ can," he explained as he tried to move, just to wince a moment later. "Nope. I can't move. You destroyed me."

"Oh noes! Is there, like, a penalty for that? Destroying a royal ass?" Prompto asked playfully and Noctis had to laugh a little harder, just to wince because it made his ass throb in pain. "Sorry... I didn't want to hurt. I promise I'll be more careful next time."

"Mmm... I do hope that next time will be soon," Noctis yawned again. "It felt really good."

"...heh," Prompto replied and started grinning like an idiot. "Love you."

"You too," Noctis sighed and stifled another yawn. "Let's sleep. We can talk about the rest tomorrow. Or later. Or whenever we're awake."

Prompto laughed softly and pressed another kiss to Noctis' lips before he settled into a position that was much more comfortable to sleep in. Noctis was almost gone already when he started kicking up the sheets.

"Night, Noct," he said, but all Noctis could manage in reply was an unintelligible grunt before he faded into sweet nothingness, lulled into sleep by Prompto's smell and warmth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1 Dried Up Youthful Fame Single  
> 2 Abendsonne, which is also a story of mine (please read <3 It's older Promptis x3)
> 
> * * *
> 
> We need another small break until the next chapter because I need to sort my thoughts and notes for the upcoming plot and I would like to write a few chapter(s) in advance again. I will inform you in our [Discord](https://discord.gg/PAqXGrn) about the details!
> 
> Next chapter should be up on October 15th!


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello and welcome back!
> 
> While I haven't managed to get as much done for Outsomnia as I wanted during these past four weeks thanks to sickness and other things that kept me busy, we have still managed to get this chapter done and ready for you! I hope it was worth the wait and I hope that it wasn't too long or taxing for you. Once again, I apologize, but I really needed this break to get my thoughts (and other things) back in order.
> 
> For the last chapter, Banira drew [this nsfw picture of their first time](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/178220420341/love-you-outsomnia-chapter-40).  
> Also, just recently, she put up [this quick study of Prompto in his stage make-up](https://twitter.com/vaniracoke/status/1051813868736004096).

Roughly 24 hours after he and Prompto had had sex for the first time, Noctis' mind was still on cloud nine. He was still in bed - on a Tuesday! - because after a second time when they woke up very early in the morning and a third time just after breakfast in bed, Noctis had to admit that he wouldn't be going anywhere soon. His limbs felt like jelly and his already delicate back hurt more than he would like to admit.

But it had been worth every minute.

Really, after they had been hugging the first two times, Prompto had asked him to turn around, which took some strain off his back, but it also allowed Prompto to cover him completely, bite his neck and run his hands down his sides and if Noctis had liked what they did before, he loved this even more. Maybe it was because he could feel more of Prompto like that, deeper inside of him, or maybe just because his dick could reach his prostate easier in that position. All that he knew for sure was that he was moaning loud enough for Prompto to try and cover his mouth.

Just remembering that then had him try and hide his face in the pillows, silently screaming at himself for being so lewd. When he had calmed down again, he could hear his phone ringing, so he patted around, seeing that the caller ID was from Luna.

"Hey Luna," he greeted her as he rolled onto his back, spread eagle over his bed. 

"Prince Noctis," his best friend greeted him back. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, well, better than that," he grinned, running a hand down his stomach imagining that it was Prompto's hand. "How are things in Tenebrae?"

"Same as before... Worrisome," Luna replied, her voice sounding heavy. Her tone changed after a moment of silence between them. "Noctis Lucis Caelum... Did you and Prompto finally... have sex?"

"What the- How do you know that?!" Noctis sputtered, sitting up so suddenly that the dull pain in his lower back flared up so sharply that he regretted the movement instantly. He winced, even as he heard a soft chuckle from the other end of the line.

"I didn't, I just took a shot in the dark. But it seems like I hit bull's eye," Luna replied with a giggle. "Sounds like it was good? Nothing like... your last time."

"Y-yeah... it doesn't compare. Like... if I didn't know that thing was 'sex', I would say what I did with that woman and what Prompto and I did... were completely different things," Noctis replied, even as he felt his cheeks heat up.

"Well, I'm aware it does matter whether you do it with someone you trust and love or not," Luna said softly. "Not from personal experience, but... you know. Excuse me for asking, but were you top or bottom this time?"

"Wait, _what_?" Even though the words sounded familiar to Noctis, his still muddled brain couldn't quite process the meaning.

"Um... how can I say this... Were you on the receiving end this time?" Luna rephrased her question. She sounded as if she was discussing the weather or a flower she had seen the other day, there was just a hint of 

Noctis blushed furiously. "Oh! Yeah. Yeah, I was. B-because I was sure I couldn't handle... _being top_ after that last experience. And Prom... he was just... He was so good. He knew exactly what he was doing, said something about my... my prostate, and when he finally found it was almost like magic - Why are you laughing?!"

"Oh Noctis, you're so adorable, really," Luna chuckled.

"Wh-what? I just... I didn't know it would feel that good. Does it feel like that when you and Nyx have sex? Like... You feel like you can touch the stars, like there's only the two of you left in the whole universe and when you come down, just looking at his face makes you smile like an idiot. Because you are, an idiot in love," Noctis rambled, just to blush a moment later. When Luna didn't say anything after, he added bashfully, "we did it two more times this morning. Each time was better than the one before."

"Noctis." Luna gasped in surprise.

"And, you know, I thought it would be weird to wake up the next morning. And it was, but only because Prom was running his hands over my back as I was drooling on his shoulder, but I was already hard when I woke up, so that second round was really just... a continuation of the first? I don't think I ever woke up feeling that good," Noctis chuckled, just to continue, "And then we just laughed and kissed and fell back asleep until noon and then we woke up again and kissed and things escalated and... It was even better from behind..."

Noctis trailed off, blushing deeply, even though he knew that Luna couldn't see him through the telephone line. The only reaction he got was some static and then a gentle chuckle.

"My dear Noctis, could it be you found your kinky side?" Luna teased him and Noctis flushed so deeply that he had to cover his eyes from the world. He almost missed how the door to his bedroom opened again, but when Prompto came and sat down on the bed with a bag of Kenny Crow's takeout, he couldn't keep ignoring him any longer. 

Quickly, he mouthed the word 'Luna' at his boyfriend, to tell him who he was talking to on his phone, but it seemed like Prompto had other ideas.

"I... is that supposed to be kinky? Nyx said you're... you're some kind of -hah- expert on that matter," Noctis tried to tease back, but he was completely distracted when Prompto decided to pepper kisses and little love bites all over the other side of his neck. He bit his lip when his boyfriend sucked another hickey into his skin and gasped just as Luna said something about everything being her husband's fault.

"Noctis. What are you doing right now?" she demanded when Noctis could clear his head just a little while Prompto redirected his kisses to his shoulder. He was about to continue the conversation when he saw Prompto pushing down the covers so that he could get better access to his slowly hardening dick.

"Nothing, but... I think I gotta hang up now. Talk to you later, I'll be working on keeping you safe and say hi to Nyx from me. Bye," Noctis replied quickly before he hung up and threw the phone some place behind him, just in time for Prompto to wrap his lips around the head of his dick. Noctis didn't quite know what he had done to deserve this, but there was no way that he could stop his boyfriend from giving him another blow-job.

~*~

Later, after they had finished eating the fries, Prompto grinning from ear to ear and Noctis blushing, Prompto had carried him over to the bathtub where they were sitting just then in silence, listening to the foam melting around them. It was peaceful and Noctis might have been so relaxed that he would fall asleep as he was leaning back against his boyfriend's chest, if not for the fact that Prompto was still wearing his leather bands around his right wrist. Noctis' fingers got caught in them as he ran his hand down Prompto's toned arms around his waist.

Wordlessly, he took his boyfriend's hand in his and lifted it up to look at it from all angles, suddenly very fascinated by the shape of his fingers - long, but with blunt nails, paint perpetually stuck under them. He raised his own hand to put them against each other, chuckling as he realized that his fingers were thinner, but longer.

"A penny (1) for your thoughts," Prompto said softly into the silence of the room.

Noctis blinked, turning their hands over. "Nothing really... just that I'm fascinated how different our hands are."

"Well, you've been brought up as a prince and I've been trying to make a living since I was a kid... My hands are bound to look different than yours," Prompto reasoned before silence fell over them again and Noctis intertwined their fingers before he let them rest on his chest.

"...that's not all, isn't it?" Prompto asked and took a deep breath. "You want to know what's under my bracelets."

Noctis frowned, because it wasn't like he needed to know, but of course he was curious. So he decided to tell Prompto, who had been so patient with him in every aspect.

"I don't need to know. If you feel more comfortable with it on, keep wearing it. But I can't deny that I'm curious to know what it is."

The pause afterwards stretched into more silence, before Prompto started to shift and unfastened the leather bands. He revealed something that looked like a barcode, with diamonds on either side. As Noctis lifted the arm upwards, he could see that a series of numbers was printed on either side.

But then again, it didn't feel like it was printed on.

"Is this...?"

"It's a tattoo, yeah. I don't know what it means though," Prompto explained, watching Noctis study his wrist. "I just... I just know that it scared my caretaker. She'd usually make me put on a wristband or something with long sleeves to hide it from the world. Whenever... whenever she'd look at it, she'd get this _really_ haunted expression. She never told me what it was, just that... I must never show it to anyone."

Noctis nodded, understanding how important it was for Prompto not to let anyone know about this. He could even understand why his boyfriend had hesitated so long to tell him about it.

"...Do you have any idea what this is?" Prompto asked tentatively when Noctis didn't say anything, just ran his fingers over it as he tried to feel if it was somehow elevated from the skin.

"I don't think I've seen anything like this before. Except for maybe one or the other fashion statement," Noctis replied with a small shrug. "I don't think anyone here knows what it means. Maybe my dad has seen something like this, but... I don't really think so." He trailed off, running his fingers over the dark lines again, wondering if they could tell him something through this. As he realized that just staring at it would do nothing for him, he huffed and pulled his fingers away again. "Thank you for showing me this. I won't ask about it again."

He craned his neck so that he could lean up to kiss Prompto's cheek, but Prompto wouldn't have any of it as he turned his head so that their lips could meet.

"I would love to learn what it means... but on the other hand... I'm also scared. Since it scared her so much..." 

"I understand," Noctis whispered. "Do you... have a name? Maybe Ignis can find out something..."

Prompto shook his head. "She was called Venas Argentum, but that wasn't her real name. I don't really know anything of her background, but I think that's what she wanted. So... I take it it's for the better that I don't know anything of my background."

"She used the same name as you, but didn't say she was your mother?" Noctis inquired, puzzled by the revelation.

"Um... she... she said she was my... maternal guardian? Whenever we'd meet other people. They looked at her funnily when they asked if she was my mother because we looked nothing alike. She got tired of answering questions, so that's what she came up with," Prompto explained and when Noctis looked up, he was frowning deeply. "I never asked any questions, I just accepted this as fact. Only when she died..."

As Prompto trailed off, Noctis shifted and turned around in Prompto's loose embrace. He kneeled between his boyfriend's legs as he cupped his face, forcing his unfocused gaze to look at him.

"Hey. I'm sorry I asked. But if you ever need someone to talk about that, I'll listen. I'll do everything in my power to help you, okay?" he said, meaning it more than everything else in his life before.

"...You know that you've got a lot more power than the average person, right?" Prompto teased, smirking lightly.

Smiling, Noctis answered. "I am aware, yes."

Prompto looked at him for a moment and then chuckled, shaking his head softly. "I can't ask the future King of Lucis about these things.This is something I need to figure out myself."

"Well, can I, Noct, singer in a more or less successful band, help you from time to time?" he asked, even as he tried not to be discouraged but Prompto's refusal.

"How can I say no to this," his boyfriend laughed and pulled him in for a kiss. "As long as you're helping me privately, I won't say no, but... sometimes it's better to let sleeping dogs lie."

"You give up too easily," Noctis huffed against Prompto's lips, humming as they deepened the kiss. 

"Good thing I have you then, Mr. Thickhead," Prompto murmured in between kisses, just before Noctis wrapped his hand around their dicks underwater. The blond gasped and then pulled his boyfriend in, looking for a split-second as if he wanted to reprimand him for such a brazen gesture.

But it never came.

~*~

Thankfully, Wednesday started slow for Noctis as well. Prompto left to talk to a customer about a new painting - something big, which made Noctis very proud - which left the Prince of Lucis with his adviser.

Of course, Ignis knew what had happened after he had come into Noctis' room the day before to collect some dirty clothes. He had looked at Noctis lounging naked on his bed with his glasses tinted over so that Noctis couldn't see his eyes and even as Ignis adjusted his glasses, he was still unable to read his expression. That little smile, however, told him that Ignis knew exactly what had happened. And that he was happy for him, which was even more important to Noctis.

Over his breakfast, Ignis informed him about his schedule for the day and that he was supposed to give an interview about his father's health and the state of the nation. Naturally, Ignis had prepared a list of things he was supposed to say for most sensitive topics and Noctis knew that he could just deflect all other questions easily. It had all been part of his training and after a few years of doing the job, Noctis was glad that everyone had been so adamant about him learning the ways of diplomacy.

Before that interview, Noctis was supposed to talk to some representatives from Galahd about more funds for the reconstruction aid from the last war. It was a lot of money and Noctis knew he was supposed to find out exactly why they wanted so much, but right then, he could care less. His body was in pain, but he was happy, almost ecstatic even. More than once, Ignis had to stop his speech because he caught Noctis staring blankly into space with a goofy grin on his face. Which he had to comment on, embarrassing Noctis in his own room.

Ah well, rather Ignis than any obnoxious reporter.

Noctis thought back to that moment a few hours later, when he stepped in front of the press, wearing his usual pinstripe three-piece suit, freshly shaven and his hair made. The talk with Galahd had been fruitful and satisfying - they were asking for more money to increase their defenses against whatever it was that Niflheim was coming up with. Noctis had asked them to give them detailed investment plans before he approved anything, but he promised that he would help them defend themselves against any and all threats from outside.

So, armed with Ignis' notes about the official statement about his father's health and the state of the nation, Noctis stood in front of the crowd of reporters with a straight back, ready to tackle on everything because he knew that Prompto was out there and loved him and that he would be back tonight and Noctis couldn't help but wonder if it would be safe to go for another round.

* * *

After his own successful meeting with a client who asked for a large wall painting based on one of MRCRY's pictures, Prompto went to meet up with the glaives of Monsters of the Deep. Despite Noctis' insistence, they met up a few times without their singer, planning songs and writing some together. Or rather, Prompto prepared a few songs and asked Libertus and Crowe about their opinion about it. He usually asked Noctis first, but sometimes his boyfriend didn't really have enough time but to sing a few songs together with them.

Prompto's creativity was all over the place at the moment though. His relationship with Noctis was so good for him and his boyfriend was a never ending source of inspiration. At the beginning of their relationship he had worried that spending time with him would leave him with less time for himself and his art, but as it turned out, he just produced things a lot faster. Also, since he spent rehearsals and gigs painting, he was producing a lot more pictures than he usually would have on his own. To think that one day he would be more productive by procrastinating sounded so weird to him, but here he was.

He stepped into the rehearsal room, where Crowe and Libertus were already waiting with Gladio and Iris. Prompto was surprised to see both of the Amicitia siblings there, but since they had joined practice a few times before, he didn't think too much of it.

"Ah, Mercury, you're here," Gladio beamed and walked over to him to pick him up easily, no matter how much Prompto was struggling against the bodyguard's hold.

"Let me down, you brute!" Prompto protested as he kicked and struggled, but Gladio didn't even seem like he was affected in any way. Instead, he sat the blond down in a very fancy chair that could have doubled as a throne in the blond's opinion.

"What... the _heck_ is going on with you guys?" Prompto demanded with a huff as a table was pushed in front of him with a blanket over something on it.

"We heard the news," Libertus grinned and Crowe pulled off the blanket with a smirk. Underneath it was a small cake with a sign on it saying ' _Congratulations!_ ' and an even smaller sign below that one saying ' _on the sex_ ' that looked suspiciously like Iris' handwriting.

Prompto stared at it and felt the heat crawl up his neck into his cheeks until he let out a very funny noise of protest while he covered his face in embarrassment.

"You guys are the _worst_!" he laughed, peeking through his fingers although he was still so embarrassed that he wanted the ground to swallow him up. "Who _told_ you?!"

"Nyx did," Crowe smirked. "Said Noctis told Luna when she called him yesterday."

"So he called you guys and told you?!" Prompto didn't know whether he should be amused or appalled about this fact. Maybe he should have guessed something like that would happen when he had interrupted Noctis on the phone with Luna.

"Kind of," Crowe shrugged. "He didn't say anything in particular, but I could hear his eyes rolling to the back of his head about you guys' childishness about this from Tenebrae to here."

"You forgot that Ignis was complaining about the amount of laundry," Libertus laughed and Prompto could feel the color draining so quickly from his face that he was getting a little dizzy.

"But we used condoms!" he protested before he snapped his mouth shut. The color that had just been draining out of his face returned full force and for a moment, he was pretty sure he was about to black out. "Oh gods, this is so embarrassing..."

Even as he pretended to cry into his hands, Gladio put a heavy hand on his shoulder, trying to shield Prompto's ears so he didn't have to hear Iris giggles evolve into full-blown laughter. "We're proud of you. As it seems, you thought about everything and charmed your way easily into Noct's pants. Which is quite the accomplishment, to be frank," the big man snorted and Prompto just whined again. "What matters is that you two found each other and make each other happy. Which is something that we've almost given up hope for Noct to ever find someone."

"Brother, you're reading too many romance novels," Iris chuckled as she stepped forward, her hands behind her back. "Real talk though: Mercury, you're one of the nicest and most creative people I've ever met. And while I still consider us to be rivals, I'm happy for Noct that you can make him happy. He deserves all the happiness in the world."

Prompto blinked and felt a few tears collect in the corner of his eye before he snorted to cover up how much Iris' words had touched his core.

"And I, as your rival, do not deserve all that happiness?" he teased and watched how the girl's cheeks colored. 

She raised her hands and waved frantically around, sputtering mostly unintelligible things, but as soon as she saw and registered Prompto's amused smirk, she huffed and hit him. Which hurt quite a lot and Prompto winced and held his shoulder just so that he didn't double over in pain.

"Honestly! You guys are horrible!" Iris whined and pouted.

"Says the girl who made me a 'congrats on the sex' cake," Prompto snorted, feeling the tips of his ears heat up anew.

As Crowe and Libertus laughed, Gladio chuckled and Iris yelled all flustered anew at him, Prompto realized that this must be what it's like to have a family. He knew that Cidney had kind of adopted him as her little brother or something, but this, being among people who had been strangers just a few years ago, laughing and joking with them so easily, felt like... like _home_. So, what Noct had given him so easily wasn't just his heart, it was a place for him to belong, where he was accepted with his faults and quirks.

Naturally, Prompto wondered if this would still be the case once his relationship with Prince Noctis was made public, but he was sure that there was still time for them to prepare for that matter. So far, he and Luna had been doing well to divert any and all attention from their real relationship statuses, which made Prompto think that there was a good chance that it would still go on like this for a few more years.

When Gladio slapped his shoulder again, Prompto realized this was neither the time nor the place to worry about these things. This was a time to have fun, make jokes and eat cake.

Among all the celebration and happy faces, it was easy for Prompto to miss the ringing of his phone. When he finally picked it up, he could see that the same number had been trying to call him for a few times now, but he didn't bother checking out the details. Instead, he just called back and waited until the other person picked up.

It was Ignis, asking to be put on speaker. He sounded stressed, almost distressed even, which worried Prompto and he wondered if something had happened to Regis.

"Everyone... we have to talk. Please come over to the prince's conference room at the Citadel _at once_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1) So, as far as I know, we don't really know what kind of currency they used in Lucis. We know that Noctis and the bros had to get Gil after running out of money and that Gil was the currency used outside of Insomnia as it was the currency of Niflheim. Therefore, I'm going with Lucian Dollars and Lucian Pennies.
> 
> Back with the cliffhangers? Yup, I am! :D
> 
> If you liked this chapter and would like to talk to us (and others), you can join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/PAqXGrn)!


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why did Ignis call for an emergency meeting?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! Plot is happening! *gasp* Slowly, but surely.
> 
> Prompto's birthday is coming up and I have nothing planned yet. TAT But I've been exceptionally slow (for my standards) at writing at the moment, too. So, if I do anything, it'll be very spontaneous, I'm afraid.

Half an hour later, all of Monsters of the Deep - minus Nyx, who was still in Tenebrae - had crammed into a small room in the basement of the Citadel. As Ignis was setting up the TV to the right recording of the live broadcast earlier. Noctis was sitting in a corner, worrying his thumbnail even though Prompto knew that there was nothing more left to chew on. He frowned at his boyfriend because he had never seen him this distressed before.

However, before he could say anything, Ignis had started and paused the video recording. Even though the image wasn't moving, it showed Noctis in the same clothes that he was wearing right then, with the only difference that he looked a lot paler and more disheveled at the moment. He didn't have bags under his eyes in the broadcast and it was only because Prompto knew every inch of Noctis' body that he could see them in person.

"Everyone, thank you for arriving so quickly. We have an important course to discuss. Allow me to speak as I fear that Noct here is still in a kind of shock," Ignis raised his voice and spoke as calmly as he could. Well, at least he sounded calmer than he had on the phone before.

"Before I start the recording, please know that this was a live broadcast. We asked the press to give us a brief overview of the questions they wanted to ask, but there was one that was a bit off and while the matter was... handled as professionally as we could, we still have a problem that we need to discuss our future course of action on," the adviser finished and pushed his glasses back up his nose.

"What the heck, you make it sound like a war is on our doorstep," Gladio said, his face in a full frown that Prompto could only agree on.

"It... may very well be. Although I do hope that there will be no casualties except for a few egos," Ignis sighed before he sat back down in front of his device. "Please take a seat, it might take a while until we get to the moment when everything goes down the hill, figuratively speaking."

Prompto made his way to sit next to Noctis and reached out to take his hand. No matter what it was, he had sworn to himself to stay by Noctis' side during the past year, so he would make good of his promise now.

Noctis jerked when he felt the careful touch of Prompto's fingers on his thigh and he straightened his back before he relaxed gradually and reached out to intertwine their fingers and squeeze Prompto's hand.

"Please don't... hate me," he whispered when the video started. Prompto's eyebrows shot up and she stared bewildered at his boyfriend, dreading to learn what had happened to make him afraid of what was going to happen during the recording.

When Noctis on the screen started talking to the crowd of reporters in front of him behind a lectern with the crest of Lucis, Prompto squeezed present Noctis' hand as he looked up to watch what was going on during that press conference. As usual, the cameras were positioned at the back of the room, so that all focus was on Noctis, and only the backs of the reporters could be seen.

The first questions were pretty normal, reporters standing up to inquire about the current state of affairs and the king's health, more political matters that Prompto already knew about because Noctis had discussed them with Ignis more than once in his presence. However, Ignis kept forwarding every other question until they were pretty much at the end of the recording. Prompto could see that Noctis was starting to slack off since they were almost done with the press conference. Unconsciously, his hold tightened around Noctis' hand because he could tell that whatever was going to happen would be happening soon.

" _Prince Noctis, one last question, maybe, one that's of a little more private nature?_ " One reporter asked and Ignis leaned back, crossed his arms and legs which Prompto took as a sign that shit was about to hit the fan. Noctis starting to worry his lip again was another clue and so he strained his eyes and ears to listen to what Noctis was going to say.

" _Sure, but if it's about the size of my shoes again, I won't tell you,_ " Noctis on screen joked, eliciting some laughter from the crowd of reporters.

" _Oh no, this isn't about that,_ " the reporter said and Prompto squeezed Noctis hand again because he could sense danger from that woman. She shuffled her notes until she found a photograph among them. She walked over and handed it to Noctis before walking back to her spot. The prince looked at it with his professional, princely smile still in place until it froze on his face and was replaced by a mask.

" _This picture was taken yesterday in Tenebrae. For those who can't see it, it shows Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret making her way from a private clinic back to the car that would be taking her back to the castle in a moment. What you can see there is an obvious swelling of her stomach, confirming the rumors of a pregnancy that had been rising in the past months._ " She trailed off, leaning back on the heels of her feet with what Prompto would always describe as a triumphant grin.

" _I..._ " Noctis on screen started, glancing over to the side where Prompto knew that Ignis would usually be. There were subtle movements on his face, too small to really notice for a bystander, but Prompto knew that deep inside, Noctis was panicking. Obviously, they hadn't been informed about this, and Noctis had to improvise from this point on. Prompto held his breath before the prince's next words.

" _If Lady Lunafreya confirms what is obvious, it's clear that she is carrying your child_ ," the reporter added, more a statement than a question, but it was obvious that she expected a reply from Noctis. Too bad that Noctis was still too shell-shocked to speak in complete sentences.

" _...I... Yes? I-I mean, it's... It's obvious, right? There... there isn't any other, and... and we're... dating..._ " Noctis on the screen said, mechanically, a handful of sentences that sounded like he had practiced them so often that he could say them when he would normally not be able to speak at all. Meanwhile, the Noctis next to Prompto winced and cringed at his counterpart's words, his fingers curling into the back of Prompto's hand. They sparked up gasps and mumbles among the audience of reporters and another stood up to ask more questions.

" _What does the council say about this? It's unheard of that a member of the royal family has a child outside of wedlock, and it's unheard of for a descendant of the honorable Oracle,_ " the man said and Prompto could see all color draining from Noctis' face.

" _No... No comment,_ " Noctis on screen said and if Prompto hadn't been staring so intently at the chaos that ensued with every other question that Noctis wasn't willing to answer, he would have noticed that the Noctis next to him had been squeezing his hand so hard that he couldn't feel anything in his fingers anymore.

" _One more thing,_ " the reporter who had raised the discussion threw in just when Prompto started wondering why Ignis hadn't stopped the recording yet. She walked back up to the lectern and handed Noctis another photograph. " _We've also seen Lady Lunafreya in the company of the Kingsglaive you sent to her protection. They looked rather close and intimate, but look for yourself,_ " the reporter said. While the Noctis on the screen looked as white as a sheet, the reporter was obviously not finished yet and slid him another photograph. " _At the same time, you've been seen making out with a blond man in the streets of Altissia after a dinner at one of the most prestigious restaurants there."_

Prompto's heart sank and the world around him started spinning until he didn't know up from down and left from right. He _knew_ that they had it coming, but that the press had been this quick? It was as if they had been waiting for one slip-up to bring out everything. Was this what Noctis had been feeling ever since? This feeling of panic and dread and self-deprecation?

"The last bit isn't on the broadcast, but it's only a matter of time until the press will make it public," Ignis said as he turned off the video. "I managed to get the directors outside of the room to switch to a commercial break, but... it's out there now. Covering this up will cost a lot of money and time."

"...Do you think that will work?" Prompto asked meekly, wincing at the hoarse sound of his own voice. He ran a thumb over the back of Noctis', even if his hand still felt pretty numb. "If they know that Luna is pregnant..."

"I... I need to marry her," Noctis said, sounding empty, almost soulless and it hurt Prompto's heart to see him like this.

"You can't marry Luna, she's already married to Nyx," Libertus growled before he ran a hand through his hair. "Ugh, what a mess."

"I'm sorry," Prompto whispered. "We shouldn't have gone on a date in public."

"Gentlemen, none of this is your fault," Ignis spoke up loudly, but followed with a sigh. "We can do what we have done before, claim that those were doppelgangers, make up stories and bribe people to keep their mouths shut-"

"You sure we can do that? This shit is pretty big and when Luna pops out that baby there is no way denying she was pregnant anymore," Gladio growled and sighed and sank back into his chair, arms crossed in front of his chest.

Noctis was busy staring at his knees, his fingers clenching and unclenching around Prompto's hand. "She... That's what Luna wanted to tell me! On the phone, when she called yesterday! And I... I didn't listen..."

"Hey, it's okay," Prompto said quickly, feeling the panic growing in his chest along with Noctis'. He forced the other to look at him, to give him a familiar face to focus on in hopes that he could calm him down like this. It used to work for him, back during school and college. "She could have told you if it was really important, but she didn't. You don't know why she didn't, but she probably... didn't want to ruin your day."

"We should probably call her anyway," Ignis said gently, adjusting his glasses again. "We need to know her opinion on these matters."

"Well, then let's do it right now?" Prompto asked, getting out his phone to pull up Luna's contact info.

"I'll do it," Noctis said, his voice sounding a lot firmer than it had before. "I'll put her on speaker."

He kept their hands entangled as he fished out his phone from the pocket in his waistcoat and called her number.

"Hi Luna, um, do you mind if I put you on speaker? And is Nyx around? There's something we all kind of need to discuss," Noctis sighed and squeezed Prompto's hand nervously. "Okay? Thanks!"

He lifted the phone from his ear, pressed a button and then placed it face up on the desk next to Ignis' computer. 

"Hello everyone," Luna said, sounding rather neutral. "I saw the interview."

"Ah, good, good, then we don't need to summarize that part," Ignis sighed. "Can I ask you when it was cut off for you?"

Luna sighed and Prompto liked to imagine that she was playing with one of her earrings. "When this man was worrying about my honor. And that of the Royal family, too."

Prompto made a face because that had rubbed him the wrong way as well. But then again, honor and reputation were really big topics and one of the reasons why it was 'Noct Gar' singing for Monsters of the Deep and not Noctis with his real name.

"Oh, and to answer the obvious question: Yes, I am pregnant. We're in the fifth month now," Luna replied with a smile so radiant that it was contagious even to Prompto on the other side of Eos.

"Congratulations," he said loudly, because he was really happy for the two. "Nyx must be really happy, too."

"I _am_ happy, I'd just be happier if we could sort out this mess," Nyx' voice came as growl from the other end of the line. "A mess I knew would blow up in our faces right from the start and look where we are now."

"It was a good plan," Ignis protested calmly, adjusting his glasses yet again. "However, there's an expiration date for these kinds of things, and we have obviously reached the one for this now. Blaming each other now won't make sense, we need to think of a course from here."

"What do you expect us to do? Break up and keep pretending that our child is Luna's and Noct's?" Nyx demanded and Prompto winced because that included he and Noctis having to break up as well. 

"No..." Noctis breathed, clinging a little tighter to Prompto.

"Just on the outside. For us, everything would be the same," Ignis said, sounding exasperated.

"And risk a repetition of this shit? Have you gone mad?" Nyx snorted dismissively.

"Yeah... We can't risk this again. It's not a big scandal yet, just... a pregnancy that we can explain, but... everything that happens from now on will be on close watch by the press, we cannot allow ourselves any more mishaps," Noctis sighed, sinking down in his chair.

"Yes. And... to be honest, I am sick and tired of this game of hide-and-seek," Luna said firmly.

"Luna..." Noctis breathed.

"Tomorrow morning, I will go out there and tell everyone that we have never been dating, that I have married Nyx all these years ago and that I am expecting his child now," Luna added and despite the fact that this was probably the most dangerous thing they could go at this moment.

"You will not do that," Ignis said, barely controlled panic ringing in his voice. "Do you know the scandal that will arise? You could lose your roles, your job, your reputation."

"If the past months have taught me anything, it's that my reputation is worth nothing. What matters is my family," Luna returned in the angriest tone that Prompto had ever heard from her, and she still sounded pretty calm for the average person.

"...What about Noctis' reputation? And Prompto's?" Ignis pointed out. "It's not just your own reputation that's on the line here. In fact, this will have consequences for all of Lucis, if not Eos."

Silence fell over the room. Prompto had been aware that the consequences would be extensive, but he hadn't been aware that his own little personal happiness would ever become a political matter. Or that of his boyfriend. 

Somehow, it felt like all the little things Prompto had been so good at ignoring came crushing back down on him, all the doubts that came with dating the Prince of Lucis of being good enough for him, of being good enough to date someone of Noctis' caliber. Yes, he would definitely be better off dating a pretty woman that had a respectable background. Maybe the girls that Noctis had dated had been of that kind, too. Too bad it didn't work out and Noctis had to fall in love with him instead.

"I... I don't want to lie anymore. And... we've been doing this for so long that it doesn't feel like a lie anymore either," Noctis replied. "I don't know what to do. But I don't want to risk anything, especially not if you're pregnant. You should rest, Luna."

"I am resting. Nyx is making sure I'm not moving a finger more than I should," Luna replied fondly. "The last thing I need is all of you brutes trying to tie my down as well."

"I'm not trying to tie you down, I just don't want anything to happen to you! The times are hard and you're pregnant, you need to save all your energy to care for the little one," Nyx protested. 

Luna sighed, sounding exhausted. "I'm _pregnant_ , not... _incapable_. Can you believe that, today he tried to take away my chocolate, saying it's not good for the child?"

"Ugh, dick move, Nyx. Never take away a woman's chocolate," Crowe huffed, twirling a strand around her fingers. "Now, as the allegedly most powerful person in Eos, why not tell these people to suck it and do whatever the hell you want? I still don't know why you didn't do this right from the start. You guys should be above everything after all."

"Again, Crowe, it's not _that_ easy," Ignis sighed, taking his glasses off his face to wipe them clean with a handkerchief. "It hasn't been then, when both Noctis and Lady Lunafreya were still building up their reputations and it isn't now, when the King is bedridden and sick. Lucis is weakened as it is and with _something_ stirring up in the cold of Nifelheim, we cannot allow this to be an opening to our enemies and give the wrong signals to our allies."

"Then what are they supposed to do, Ignis? They can't be honest, they can't pretend anymore, there's not much else left," Gladio groaned as he sat back up.

"We can see how big the waves will be from this. For now," Ignis replied, checking his glasses one last time before he put them back on his face.

"Just so I got that right, you want us to _wait_?!" Nyx demanded over the phone, sounding not too happy about it. Or well, rather livid, but in a controlled way, because Nyx was good with that kind of self-control and a trained professional on top of that.

"Exactly," Ignis said, adjusting his glasses one last time. "We will keep quiet about this matter, but this means that neither you nor Prompto are allowed to go outside in these next few days. At least not in the company of your... spouses, well, partners."

"That's... torture, Iggy! Please, just let us talk to the public, I swear it'll work out," Nyx whined and Prompto couldn't be any more surprised. Never before had he ever heard Nyx beg or whine and he didn't quIte know what to make of that.

"Just for a few days. We need to evaluate the situation," Ignis sighed and suddenly looked very tired and old. "Evaluate the situation so we can think of the best course of action. Lunafreya also has to listen to her brother, he is her manager after all."

"...Fine, but if it doesn't work your way, we'll do it my way," Nyx huffed before he was heard stomping out of the room.

"Congratulations, Luna," Noctis said after another moment of awkward silence in the room. "I know it's been a long dream of you and Nyx to start your own family and... I'm really glad it worked out for you."

"Thank you, Prince Noctis," Luna replied, her voice soft. "I'm very happy that you've also found your happiness. Don't let anyone let that take away from you. You too, Prompto. I'm happy for the both of you."

"Thank you, Luna," Prompto replied, smiling softly until he remembered that the woman wouldn't be able to see his face. So he just hoped that his voice was able to convey all of his emotions.

"Very well," Ignis broke into the silence before it could become too awkward. "Thank you - Luna, Nyx - for your time. We will continue to be in contact."

"Please be careful, Ignis. And don't hesitate to make your choice," Luna said gently. For someone who should be panicking that her most valuable secret had come to light and fear the consequences of it, Luna seemed to be the calmest out of all of them. Even Crowe, who usually carried and air of 'all of this doesn't concern me' looked unsettled, but she was probably more angry about how everyone seemed to be patronizing towards Luna than actually concerned about her well-being.

Prompto reached out to get Noctis' phone after the call had ended, locked it again and then handed it back to his boyfriend.

"Everyone... thank you for coming. I don't think I have to tell you that it is of utmost importance that none of you will talk about this to the press or anyone you do not trust with your life. I will contact you again. Thank you," Ignis said, sounding still as calm and collected as ever but his shoulders were so tense that even Prompto wanted to give him a massage.

"I'll help you clean up," Gladio offered, putting a hand on Ignis' shoulders. "Thanks for today, get some rest, we'll need it."

"Thanks for today," Prompto replied together with Libertus and Crowe, before he tugged gently at Noctis' sleeve, trying to get him to stand up. It took him a few attempts, but eventually, Noctis got to his feet, but he latched immediately onto the blond.

"Ignis, I'll take care of Noct tonight. Please look after yourself, too, okay? We'll manage and the world won't end in one night," Prompto said as cheerfully as he could, hoping that he could convince everyone in the room of something that he didn't really believe in himself. But they were all so down and depressed and desperate, someone just had to try to cheer them up, right?

"Thank you, Prompto," Ignis said, much to Prompto's big surprise. Usually, Ignis would insist to do something for Noctis, make sure that he would eat right or something along those lines, but it seemed as if he was really at the end of his wits.

_Wow._

Prompto sighed as the elevator doors closed behind him and Noctis, before it took them upstairs to the crown prince's quarters. He looked completely worn out still and all Prompto could do was worry about him as he led him to his bed.

"Do you want something to eat?" He asked, helping Noctis out of his shoes and waistcoat.

"No," Noctis breathed, helping the best he could to get undressed.

"I'll get you some water," Prompto said instead and got them both a bottle from the small fridge Noctis kept in an adjacent room. When he returned, Noctis was lying spread eagle on the bed, his feet still rooted on the floor.

"I ruined everything," Noctis said when Prompto sat down on the bed next to him.

"No... no, you didn't," Prompto replied, suddenly feeling every ounce of exhaustion that Noctis was emanating. "You didn't stand a chance at all against that reporter. She kind of tricked you. But that's what reporters do."

"I didn't listen to Luna when she called," Noctis groaned, running his hands over his face. "I could have... All of this could have been prevented, if only I'd have listened to her!"

"She could have said something but... I distracted you, too..." Prompto sighed, flopping down next to his boyfriend. "Whatever happens. We will manage, okay? Ever at your side."

Noctis bit his lip and turned his head to look at Prompto. "...you don't have to. You can still... get out of this mess. I got you into this and it's... it's my fault. So... if you... if you..."

"No." Prompto blinked in surprise at how firm his voice was. Nevertheless, he sat up and looked down with all the conviction and sincerity he had in his bones. "No, I'm not... I will not let you suffer through this alone. Besides, you guys are my family now. Even if you don't like it, I will stick by your side."

As Prompto spoke, Noctis' expression softened until it started being contorted by emotions again, this time because he was moved by Prompto's words.

"I love you so much," Noctis choked out, rolling onto his side to throw an arm over Prompto's chest just to follow with the rest of his body. He pressed his lips to Prompto's as they hugged, and Prompto held him close, returning the kisses almost feverishly, until Noctis deepened them.

Prompto let his hands wander over his back, careful not to put too much pressure on his scars, but Noctis melted right against him. He even started to hump his leg, lightly at first, but with more insistence as they went.

"Prom... Please..." Noctis breathed in between kisses, surprising the blond with his boldness. "Can we?"

"...Do you really want to?" Prompto asked, suddenly sober enough for both of them, and he realized that he had been squeezing the other's ass. 

"I want to forget and... to feel good," Noctis whispered before he collapsed fully on top of the blond. "Is that stupid?"

"It's only stupid if you want to do it to run away," Prompto sighed, petting his boyfriend's back, smiling softly. Astrals, Noctis had no right whatsoever to be this adorable.

"No... I... I feel like, everything is slowly fading away from me and you're... you're the one thing that's keeping me grounded. Is it... is it too much to ask for some distraction?" Noctis sighed, but his tone didn't have a lot of bite. "I just want to..."

Prompto sighed. That sounded a hell of a lot like running away and, well, his body was definitely up for it. But something felt wrong about it, like trying to use a light color to hide something dark behind it. And Prompto knew that the dark colors would shine through sooner rather than later. "Hey... I'm here. Maybe we should just sleep, okay? I promise I'll hold you all through the night."

"I hate you," Noctis sighed in defeat, rolling back off onto his back.

"Let's get ready for bed, okay?" Prompto sighed and got up, starting to get undressed. Reluctantly, Noctis did the same until they were both down to their underwear. Noctis was the first to crawl under the sheets, pouting all the time until he was resting his head on Prompto's shoulder where he finally deflated a bit.

"...maybe it's better this way... My... _back_ still hurts a bit," he murmured, sounding not to happy about that.

Prompto chuckled. "Yeah, I wouldn't want to wreck you completely. Maybe if you're feeling better tomorrow morning."

"Hm... yeah," Noctis replied and yawned, snuggling a little closer. "Hey, I... I meant what I said earlier. If you want to get out of this... You're free to go if you want to. Any time, okay?"

"Mhm, but as I said before, I don't want to," Prompto smirked before he bent down to press a kiss to the top of Noctis' hair. "I'll stay with you through this, because I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEY HAVE BEEN FOUND OUT! *GASP*
> 
> What do you think will happen?


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Luna to put in her 2 cents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!!
> 
> Thank you for all your comments! Last weekend has been a bit stressful, but we're managing!
> 
> Things are getting a little chaotic in Insomnia, let's see where this is all heading.

On Thursday morning, Prompto had forgotten about his worries of the previous day, so he woke up Noctis just like he had promised him he would. It was amazing to see his boyfriend, who usually hated to be up in single digit hours, be so good and responsive at this time. Granted, it was only another blow-job, however this time, Noctis turned around and offered his backside. It took Prompto only a moment to gape at his boyfriend in shock before he happily accepted the offer.

So, half an hour later they were still on a high of happiness until Ignis brought them coffee, something to eat and a collection of tabloids. Lunafreya's pregnancy and Noctis' admittance to be the father was the big news and most of the magazines close to royalty tried to sound happy about it, to speculate the wedding date and place and dresses.

However, there were some that already started digging up more and more pictures of Noctis' and Luna's dates with their respective boyfriends. On the first day after the disastrous interview it wasn't too bad since everyone seemed to be more surprised that Lunafreya was pregnant than to investigate whether or not Noctis was the father. Only when the first pictures of Luna and Nyx on a date started to get published, the news started blaming her for cheating on Noctis.

"I don't understand why Luna didn't say anything sooner about their attempts to conceive being successful," Prompto sighed as he put the newspapers away.

"You knew about this?" Ignis asked sharply, the light being reflected off his glasses blinding Prompto for a second.

"I... yeah? They've been... hinting at it for a while now, but since we haven't been in a lot of contact lately, I didn't know anything," Prompto replied defensively.

"This... might have been my fault," Noctis sighed, putting another article down that he had been staring at for a while. "I've... kinda ignored her texts and calls, because I was... well, occupied with other thoughts." 

Prompto blinked at the sheepish glance his boyfriend sent him and when he recalled the progress they had made in their own relationship ever since February, he realized that Noctis' focus had indeed been on him most of the time. With everything else that kept him busy, it was easy to push messages from your best friend to the back of his mind. The way he had handled her call the day before the interview was rather exemplary for all the other calls before.

"Very well," Ignis sighed, pushing his glasses up again. "That... is something else we need to consider, but alas, we still have to wait for her take on everything. And maybe this will be the end of this affair, too."

Prompto looked at the adviser in full sympathy and hoped himself that this matter would resolve itself quicker than what they all feared.

On Friday however, the first tabloids started printing pictures of Prompto and Noctis on their trips to Altissia and Tenebrae, showing how they were holding hands, laughing and drinking wine with each other, sharing one or more kisses. Maybe it was because Prince Noctis had appointments at the same place and someone had been following him, maybe it was just bad luck, but these photos were out in the open. Prompto felt violated, having his own face look at him from the cover of a magazine with a look that had been meant for Noctis alone. He just hoped that no one was able to make the connection to Monsters of the Deep. It didn't matter anyway, because they didn't have a tour or a big promotion planned in the near future.

But he endured the feeling of humiliation. He knew that this was what Luna and Noctis had been trying to protect him and Nyx - and themselves - from and that it was better to endure this kind of shame instead of trying to say something. Everything Noctis or Luna could say would just attract more attention than they were ready to share with the world, even if it was killing them.

Prompto spent the time he was forced to stay working on the commission he had left the other day for, grateful that the Citadel provided him with lots of large rooms where he could paint to his heart's content. It gave him an outlet, something to focus on instead of lashing out mindlessly on Noctis or anyone else. He didn't even mean to be mad at anyone, he was just so high-strung that one wrong word set him off. Usually, it was Gladio at the receiving end of his anger, but only because Gladio had a very short temper. Also, he hated not being able to do anything, hated to be sitting ducks.

Noctis didn't fare much better, he would sit with Prompto while he painted whenever he got the time to do so, writing songs with his headphones on or playing some kind of video game to distract himself. Sometimes he would even try to distract Prompto with his newly learned skills of seduction, something that still made Prompto's head spin just thinking about. 

How his timid and until a few weeks ago sex-repulsant boyfriend suddenly started to find an outlet in this kind of physical activities was mind-boggling, especially when he tried to give him his first blow-job. It didn't matter that Noctis was a little too aggressive about it, it didn't matter that he was probably really bad at it, Prompto thought it was the best thing in the world. Mostly because his boyfriend, who was so very picky about the foods he liked, went down on him and even swallowed at the end. Sure, he made a face and demanded a hot chocolate to wash the taste away afterwards, but for him to go the extra mile and just _do_ that when Prompto had never even thought about asking him was enough to make it the absolute best.

Alas, all their little personal triumphs meant nothing in the light of the scandal that was currently blowing up in the tabloids. Every day it was getting worse and with that, Prompto was getting more and more paranoid.

"What if they put up cameras at the hotel in Altissia? We didn't close the windows in the scorching heat," he started ranting over dinner on Saturday. "What if there exist photos of... Oh! Aren't all the places here under surveillance with CCTV? Oh my god, what if there's a snitch who's got records of... of everything we've done so far?!"

"Calm down," Noctis hissed, poking his own food, which lay otherwise untouched still on his plate. "All these people had their background checked and we trust them, they wouldn't go and talk to the tabloids only _now_."

"How do you know that?! I'm a commoner like... like everyone out there and I'm still your boyfriend and I get so many privileges, what if one of them got envious of this and decided to, I don't know, do this for payback?" Prompto gave back, feeling absolutely devastated with every passing moment.

Before he could really finish his sentence though, Noctis slammed down his fork, his face a mask of barely contained fury. "No!" was all that he said, before he looked like he regretted every other word that was on the tip of his tongue. He stood up, the wooden chair screeching on the marble floor.

"I'm not hungry. Thanks for the food, Iggy. I'll be in my room if you need me," Noctis huffed and left, the growl of his empty stomach betraying his own words.

Prompto bit his lip and stared down at his own mostly untouched food, feeling indescribably bad that he wouldn't be able to get anything of this down. But there was no way that he would be able to eat as nervous as he was and much less now that he and Noctis were fighting.

"I'm sorry-," he started, but Ignis shook his head.

"Go," he said simply. "I'll make sure this won't go to waste."

"Thank you," Prompto replied softly, putting down his own fork before he hurried after Noctis.

He found him sitting on the couch, the TV running in the background on some stupid old cartoons and he was staring at his phone, tapping furiously away on it. As Prompto came closer, he could see that Noctis wasn't playing a game this time around, but writing someone.

"...I'm sorry," he said softly before he flopped down on the armchair next to the couch.

Noctis' typing stopped and he sighed deeply before he looked up. Prompto took this as his clue to continue.

"It's... I feel like I'm going mad. The pictures, the facts and the rumors that keep spreading, everything that hits too close is just... I don't know what to do," Prompto sighed and let his head drop back until it hit the cushion repeatedly. "I know I'm being paranoid, mostly because I knew all these things were _bound_ to happen, but somehow... I had hoped that they wouldn't happen all at once." He snorted a dry laugh. "I know I'm overreacting, but... I hate that I can't just simply run away and hole myself up in my anonymity anymore."

"Yeah. Welcome to my life," Noctis huffed before he slumped. "No, sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No! It's okay. I know you've been dealing with all your life and... I guess that's also a factor. Seeing you like this, just as... annoyed and frustrated as I am, like..."

"You thought I could guide you through this," Noctis sighed, slumping even more on the couch.

"...Yeah. That," Prompto nodded. "Like, since you're used to it, I had hoped I could be as calm as you've always seemed through, well, everything."

"I had hoped so, too. But this shit is... the size of Catoblepas dung. You know it's bad when even Iggy is panicking," Noctis explained, sounding much more tired than usual. "Sorry."

"Yeah..."

Silence fell between them, only broken by the sounds coming from the TV. It was comfortable, much more than before and Prompto started to lose himself in the mindless cartoon.

"Luna wants to come clean on Monday. She just wrote me," Noctis said, his phone back in his hands. "They've been knocking on her door, calling her and her manager-brother every day from now on. Nyx is apparently so cranky that he started carving every untouched piece of wood that he could could get his hands on, and Ravus said he's going to cut off his hands if he touches one more of his wood samples."

"Dang, we can't allow that. We still need him to play guitar for us," Prompto replied which somehow made Noctis start giggling.

"I think Luna's more concerned about the loss of his hands than we are," he managed to get out before he started laughing for real. They both giggled and laughed and somehow Prompto felt some of the tension dissipate.

"If that's all we're concerned about, then it can't be that bad," Noctis snorted before he scooted to one side of the couch, patting the other side for Prompto to join him, which was as good as a sign for rompto that he didn't want to fight anymore. If their argument just now could even be considered a fight.

"I hope we can move on soon... I feel like this is tearing us apart," Noctis sighed as he rested his head on Prompto's shoulder, closing his eyes. 

"I don't want that. I'm not letting that happen," Prompto said quickly as he tightened his hold around Noctis' shoulders, pulling him closer.

"Me neither," Noctis replied and closed his eyes. "I don't want to lose you... not after all of this. And not because of... something stupid like that."

As Prompto pulled him closer again, the cartoons on the TV changed into something darker and when he reached for the remote to change channels to one of the others that showed stupid cartoons, Prompto realized that Noctis had passed out. So instead of changing channels, he turned off the TV and picked up his sleepy boyfriend. He chuckled as he was reminded of the poster of and old movie called bodyguard while he carried Noctis to his bed, because Noctis was clinging to him just like the female lead on that poster. It was oddly romantic, but since Noctis was always very clingy when he was asleep, it came as no surprise to Prompto. He just put Noctis under the covers before he joined him there since he was just as exhausted. It didn't even take him long to fall asleep as well.

~*~

After they had spend most of Sunday trying to sleep the day away before they did a movie marathon of all nine Star Wars movies. They even managed to eat some Kenny Crow's in the evening, but it didn't help much to help their upset stomachs. Regis laughed at the bags under their eyes, saying they looked more like they were sick than he was. But he also told them not to worry, just to be true to themselves and that everything would work out in the end. A king was also just human and not everyone would always like him.

However, neither of them could wait for Monday to come faster, so they just went back to sleep despite the fact that Gladio wanted to train with them again. Said they needed to move or they would become insufferable slobs. It was easy to ignore him though and just fall asleep tangled up in each other again.

When Prompto woke up early next morning, his back screamed at him for his behavior, but seeing Noctis peaceful face as he drooled on his shoulder was everything he ever needed in his life. However, it was early in the morning and he needed to get up _as soon as possible_ or his headache would kill him during the rest of the day.

Carefully, he squirmed out of Noctis' octopus hold and got up, stretched and then went to the gym to go for a run on the treadmill since going out in public wasn't really an option at the moment. He was done with his run when the clock struck six and went to take a shower back up in Noctis' rooms. Once he was done lathering his hair, he felt somebody entering the large shower stall and even though he knew that it would be no one else but Noctis, he was still surprised when his boyfriend's arms wrapped around his middle.

"Good morning... what made you wake up this early?" he asked as he craned his neck to greet Noctis with a kiss. The water was raining down on both of them, washing the shampoo out of Prompto's hair while fully drenching his boyfriend.

"You weren't there... and the shower was running. So... I thought I'd... join you and kind of fulfill a fantasy I've been having for a while now," Noctis replied, nibbling a line of kisses over the blond's wet neck that sent a shudder down his spine.

"Oh?!" Prompto said, trying to cover up his gasp of arousal with surprise. "You've had a fantasy? Since when?"

"Since... before we got together..." Noctis admitted sheepishly, burying his face deeper into Prompto's shoulder.

"Really?!" Prompto's surprise grew even more.

Noctis just nodded again. 

"Wow... I feel honored now," Prompto smiled and since he wasn't able to turn around, he just leaned back into the embrace. He could feel Noctis' hands roaming over his body, his stomach, then up to his chest to play with his nipples and it was then he realized that Noctis was on a mission. A mission to explore his body and to get him off in the shower.

He didn't have to wait long until lithe fingers wrapped around his half-hard dick and brought it to full mast and there was something in the way Noctis' moved his hand that told Prompto he was holding back considerably, but that this wasn't the first time he had done something like this. Knowing Noctis, he had only done it by himself before, and probably only to get off as quickly as possible though.

It was hot, to have Noctis touching him like this and to feel his arousal poke his backside while he explored the things he could do and which he couldn't. Since Prompto was still feeling a little fuzzy brained from sleeping too much and his previous workout, it didn't take much for him to lose himself in the touch. Soon, he found himself rocking back against Noctis' arousal, getting closer and closer to his completion. "Noct, I'm gonna," he tried to warn the other, but with just two more thrusts of his hips, he came with a soft cry onto the dark marble tiles.

"Me too," Noctis gasped and came a few moments later on Prompto's back before he slumped against him, panting and gasping for breath. Prompto could feel his whole body still tingling with excitement from the feeling of Noctis' cum that was slowly washed away by the shower and the weight of his dick on his back. With a start, he realized just how much he was looking forward to being on the receiving end when they had sex, even if it was just once. Maybe not today, but preferably soon.

"...That's been on your mind all that time?" Prompto teased once he was able to speak relatively normal again. 

"Yeah... It was weird... you were the first person to ever make me feel like this," Noctis admitted meekly, still refusing to lift his head from Prompto's shoulder and look him in the eyes. "I've never been aroused by... just looking at someone..."

He trailed off, suddenly very quiet and Prompto was floored. He didn't know how to reply to that for a moment, before he defaulted to a nervous chuckle and said, "Hey... Oh man, that's... I think, that's, like, the nicest thing anyone ever said to me." 

"I... felt guilty. I didn't want to make you... like those girls Gladio keeps talking about in his magazines, something he looks at in his... _alone time_ , because you're not an object..." Noctis continued and the weight of his frustration in the words that he spoke made Prompto bite back any other comment to tease him.

"...You know," he started instead, "it's okay. I... kinda feel honored... that _you_ think about _me_ like that." Prompto frowned, because he didn't know how to put that it made him feel good to be desired like a kind of sexy model that posed to arouse the viewers, especially by someone like Noctis, who didn't really put his affections out there so easily. "It's... quite the turn-on," he added with a chuckle, hoping that this would be able to get the message across.

The way that Noctis' arms tightened, even though he didn't say anything, told him that yes, it had indeed come across just as he had intended it. He chuckled nervously, but leaned back against Noctis' hold nevertheless.

"Come on, let's clean up?" Prompto suggested softly, trying to turn around. Noctis finally loosened his hold enough for Prompto to turn around, but instead of cleaning up, he kissed him and they started making out lazily under the spray of the shower. Only when things heated up too much, Prompto pushed away and asked Noctis to stop. He didn't really want them to progress too much too fast and there were more important things for them to do.

After cleaning up, they managed to have a quick breakfast with pancakes and fruits while Ignis went through the day's schedule with them. Luna's announcement would be at 10 am, so there were two more hours to kill. Prompto texted Libertus and Crowe to come over and watch the broadcast with them. Crowe refused right from the bat, saying that she was going to watch it with Cidney in Lestallum. Libertus answered half an hour later, saying that he was at the fresh market for ingredients for the restaurant he worked at and wouldn't be able to come over either.

Thus, it was only Prompto, Noctis, Ignis and Gladio huddled together on a couch in Noctis' rooms at half past nine, watching a special about what the media had found out about Noctis' and Lunafreya's respective relationships. It was painful, but gave them a good overview on things they needed to address in Noctis' following announcement.

Ignis was quickly filling his notebook with anecdotes, quotes and probably other stuff that they needed to confirm or deny and after about five minutes, Prompto got up to get them all a beer. Ignis looked at him in full disgust at drinking alcohol before noon, but after the blond insisted on it, he took the bottle and downed a good portion of it.

They were all tense, but they decided it was nothing they couldn't loosen with some alcohol. Despite the fact that they had heard half of the stories before and the other half didn't pose any new information, Noctis couldn't help but protest loudly against everything that was said. For about ten minutes, it was amusing until Gladio ran out of patience and yelled at him to sit back down and shut his mouth.

Naturally, Noctis pouted for the rest of the time until the scene switched to the room in the Tenebrean castle where Luna would soon step in front of the reporters. It looked exactly like those times when they had made an announcement of the state.

The air was so tense that none of them dared to speak anymore until Luna entered the room from the side. Immediately, cameras started up, flashlights went off and kept going until she had reached the middle of the room. He back was straight and instead of the flowing dresses that she had chosen to wear in the last few months, she was wearing the slim white dress that looked almost exactly like the one she wore as the Oracle in _Game of the Gods_. It showed off her visible baby bump and made pretty clear what her message was going to be.

"Where's Nyx?" Gladio whispered, not wanting to break the tension too much.

"Sidelines?" Noctis whispered back, but it was then that Luna raised her hands and asked the room to calm down. Nyx was still nowhere to be seen, but Prompto liked to believe that Noctis was right and he was somewhere on the sidelines.

"Everyone, thank you for coming," Luna said calmly, but resolutely. The cameras were still flashing, but everyone started to calm down and sit back on their chairs.

"I apologize for coming to talk to you only now. There is no excuse for this other than I was scared. Scared of what was going to happen to me once I had told you the truth," she continued, sounding calmer than Prompto would expect her to be.

"Everyone, these past years, I have avoided to tell you the truth. I didn't do it out of malice, no, I was trying to protect myself, my dear private life and that of the Prince of Lucis who had to face the backlash of my selfish actions.

"Yes, I am pregnant, but no, Prince Noctis is not the father," Luna said, clear enough so that there would be no doubt in the meaning of her words. "I am sorry for the burden that I have put upon him with my thoughtless actions and I have apologized to him in these past days. But it has taken me until today to gather the courage and tell you who is really the father.

"Many of you have voiced concerns about my child being born outside of wedlock, which is unheard of for a woman in my position. Alas, I can assure you, that this child is no 'bastard', as some of the more tasteless comments have called it. I am married and have been for many years now. However, my husband is not the Prince of Lucis either," Luna said and to that, the murmurs and comments started anew, their volume rising to levels that must have been deafening. Prompto was glad that they weren't there, but also regretted not being able to support Luna in this difficult moment.

"My husband is an honorable man, a citizen of Lucis. He is also the father of my child, but I have decided to keep his identity private, as I am the only one who is to blame in this matter. Alas, it will be I to carry the full blame of this alone. Please accept my sincerest apologies," Luna said and ended her speech with a deep bow. 

The reporters jumped onto their feet and took lots of pictures again, yelling questions, but Luna made no move to get up from her bow for the next five minutes. Prompto started to become impressed after the first minute and even the reporters seemed to become a little nervous that Luna was able to hold the position for that long. After three, they started to wonder if they should tell her to get up. Especially the female reporters started to look pretty uncomfortable and ready to go to up to Luna and help her up, but it took them until Luna straightened herself to find the resolution to go up to her and _do_ something.

"Everyone, thank you for your continuous support all these past years. I hope that you will continue to support me in the future as well," Luna said and bowed again, but shorter. This time it was to say goodbye and she left to the side where she had come from, just to be led away by a man clad in black.

A reporter stepped in front of the camera to give their summary of the situation, which was really just a retelling of what Luna had just said. Noctis was already on his phone to call her, but she wouldn't pick up. Instead, Ignis' phone started ringing and the advisor stood up to take it outside of Noctis' rooms.

"That... sounded super plausible? I mean, she pretty much washed you clean of any blame, that's good, right?" Prompto tried to summarize what he had just heard.

"It could be... it all depends on how her words will be perceived from here," Gladio sighed, looking much too exhausted for this time of the day. 

"So that means...?" Prompto asked as Noctis sighed and slumped back where he was sitting.

"We're back to waiting."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Technically not a cliffhanger.


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompto has a chat with Regis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for still being with us and hello new people! We hope you have fun with this chapter, I'm sure it's nothing like what you expected. :D
> 
> Banira drew very shiny Noctis ass, which you can find [at her nsfw tumblr](https://yakipurin.tumblr.com/post/179765413096/something-for-outsomnia-chapter-41-i-am-super).

When Prompto had thought that it would get easier once Luna had confessed that Noctis wasn't the father of her child, he realized by Monday evening already just how mistaken he had been.

Sure, the questions of when, where and how they were going to marry stopped, but they were quickly replaced with other, more intrusive questions. Has Noctis been trying to cover up the fact that he was gay by pretending to date Luna? Would he have to renounce the throne now that he was in love with a man? 

Prompto hated these questions. No matter how much of a progressive state Lucis was, how welcoming Noctis, the King and everyone at the court were, now that the press raised questions whether or not it was okay for the heir of the throne to be in a relationship where he wouldn't be able to pass on his blood, Prompto started contemplating Noctis' offer to get out of here while he still had the chance. Surely everything would be easier if Noctis married a woman that could give him children to continue the line of Lucis.

When he voiced those words in drunken stupor on Tuesday evening, Noctis looked at him with such intensity that Prompto feared he was going to hit him.

"How... Don't... Why do you think you need to make this kind of decision for me?" the Prince growled and Prompto regretted that the words had ever slipped off his tongue. "I know _exactly_ what I was doing when I asked you out! _Why_ do you think Ignis and Gladio had tried to set me off with women before? Because they knew that the public would like to see me producing and offspring!"

Seeing Noctis ramble like that, Prompto realized that his boyfriend was probably just as drunk as he was. Otherwise he would hardly go on such a lengthy rant.

"...I'm sorry," he whispered, looking down at the empty glass in his hand, although it was pretty hard for him to focus on anything with the amount of alcohol in his system. "I'm just... I guess... I just want the best for you and if that means..."

He continued fidgeting, because he didn't want to say the words again, since they wouldn't only just hurt Noctis, but him as well. However, a moment later Noctis was right in his face, straddling his lap and Prompto wondered just how fast he must have moved to get there.

"Prompto Argentum. Don't you _dare_ think that you know better than I what is the best for me. I chose _you_ and I will not let _anyone_ tear us apart. Do you even realize how much you mean to me?" Noctis growled, looking more like a ferocious beast than human and a part at the back of Prompto's mind was just terribly turned on.

So, it was probably a good thing that his mind was too befuddled with alcohol to actually react to his own primal instincts. Instead, he just watched Noctis stare him down with wide eyes, feeling his heart beating so hard that he feared it would jump out of his chest at any moment now.

Noctis slumped then, deflated visibly until his forehead came to rest on Prompto's shoulder. "You and my music... are the things most important to me," Noctis confessed weakly, sounding so much younger and vulnerable than he had just looked.

Involuntarily, Prompto's arms came up and wrapped around Noctis' shoulders. "I've never had something or someone that I... held as dear as you... I still can't believe that it's okay to be like this. To be this selfish," Prompto murmured, pushing the words past the lump in his throat.

"It's okay... you can be even more selfish, too," Noctis whispered, only exhaustion ringing in his voice now that his anger seemed to have dissipated. "And don't worry about heirs yet... I'm sure we will find a way... when the time comes."

"Yeah... I'm sure you will," Prompto cooed as he ran his hand over Noctis' back, petting him gently. He expected a reply, but he wasn't even surprised when he got none, because the discussion was obviously over. What was left was the warm and fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach as he recalled everything that Noctis had just said to him. He felt so _loved_ , so important, just by these few simple words and Prompto realized that he didn't want to be anywhere else in this world. He wanted to be here with Noctis, wanted to be his partner in every possible meaning of the word, wanted to be his pillar in these times of uncertainty.

Before he could say anything as cheesy though, he heard a soft snore right next to his ear.

"What the..." Prompto craned his neck and shook Noctis gently, only to realize that the other had passed out on his shoulder. The blond snorted before he lifted his boyfriend up again and carried him to the bed, where they passed out once again.

~*~

Prompto spend the next morning with Regis, because Noctis wanted to answer some questions of the public himself. After a week of saying nothing at all, he knew that he had to come clean from his side as well. However, he was reluctant to share Prompto's real identity since it could point back to Monsters of the Deep and endanger his own privacy, so he would just say general things about him, just like Luna had been pretty vague about Nyx' identity.

Regis didn't look as good as he had when Prompto and Noctis had visited him last time, but he didn't look too bad either. He was resting against the black silken pillows and when Prompto entered the room, his face lit up and he tried to sit up a bit straighter.

"Hey, don't strain yourself," Prompto smiled, feeling his heart get a little lighter every time he could see the old king be so enthusiastic about his presence.

"I'm not straining myself, I'm just happy to see my son's boyfriend," Regis replied with a fatherly smile that made Prompto blush. The king laughed and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "How are you, my boy? I'm sure these past weeks have been a big strain on everyone, but for you, all of this must be new and scary."

"I am... actually okay, I think," Prompto replied, a little hesitantly. "Of course, I'm worried and scared - that didn't change - but I think that Noctis is actually... worse off than I."

"Oh?" Regis asked, and he looked more worried now.

"Yes, he... I think he is trying to... shoulder all the blame alone and now that Luna took that from him, he wants to do even more. He... made good of the missed opportunities to talk to Luna, too, he has been texting her every day and she has told him time and time again that she wants to shoulder the blame for this. She says Noctis already has so much else on his palate - you, the conflict with Niflheim and the other countries, every day affairs of the state - that this one thing is hers to solve," Prompto explained with a little frown, only looking up from picking paint from beneath his nails when he heard Regis' soft chuckle.

"Of course they would be like this," the king commented with a sigh. When Prompto looked at him questioningly, he lifted his head and smiled. "You know, they are pretty similar, Lunafreya and Noctis. That's why they get along so well and I have been... well, at some point I thought that they would make a good ruling couple, but I am happy with the way things have turned out in the end. I wouldn't want to force them to do something they don't really want for a political reason."

Prompto blinked and needed a moment to process the old man's words before he blushed as he realized that Regis meant he was happy with the partners that Noctis and Luna chose for themselves. Luna obviously first of the two and maybe it had seemed for a very long time that Noctis would never choose anyone for himself.

Still, Prompto didn't think that he was the best choice from a political point of view, but since Noctis had chosen him, he couldn't say anything about that, nor did he want to.

"Alas, I can understand why Lunafreya is offering herself to be the sacrificial lamb this time. When she first came to him and told him that she fell in love with a glaive, he didn't even hesitate to offer to pose as her boyfriend. He was 17 turning on 18 then and people kept telling him how he would have to choose a queen once he turned to be of age, even if his passion lay with music even then," Regis explained. Of course, Prompto had heard about these things from every other member of Monsters of the Deep before, but it was interesting to get an outsider's view on this. Especially since said outsider was Noctis' father.

"To Noctis, I can imagine this was the perfect solution. The questions would stop, Lunafreya could be free to do whatever she wanted and Nyx couldn't refuse her anymore. Five years later she married the love of her life against her brother's protests. Sylva - Tenebrae's queen and a good friend of mine - has always supported her daughter's wishes and I can only imagine her delight to learn that her family will soon grow," Regis continued to explain with a fond smile.

Prompto realized once again that it would be hard for him and Noctis to make the royal family grow, which made him feel both sad and relieved at once, but he also blushed at the thought of ever having his own children. Since he had always been alone, even as a child, he wasn't used to being around other children, so the prospect of having one - or more! - of his own was probably the scariest thing he could think of. And Prompto was pretty creative when it came to thinking about scary things.

"I'm afraid that I won't be able to see such a thing, but do not worry, I know there are ways to continue the line of Lucis, even though I've always feared that the bloodline would stop with Noctis. It was the worst after he had been attacked as a child; I was almost sure that I had lost him then," Regis sighed and looked suddenly older, smaller. "Did he tell you he was in a coma for weeks then?"

Prompto shook his head in surprise. "He said something about a coma, but not for how long."

"We were very worried. Me, Ignis, Gladio... Everyone at the court feared that he wouldn't make it. When he finally opened his eyes it felt like a miracle. We were so happy, you have no idea," Regis smiled and fell silent, obviously reminiscing that time in the past.

"...May I ask, what happened to his mother... Your wife?" Prompto asked, although he felt stupid for asking. "I-I mean, I'm sure it's all in the history books and... and stuff, I just... Well, history wasn't my best subject in school."

Regis chuckled, although the laugh didn't quite meet his eyes. Prompto knew he addressed a touchy subject, and he hoped that Regis knew that he wouldn't have to answer the question. He was the king after all, he could do whatever he wanted.

"The short answer is _childbirth_ ," Regis replied wistfully. "The longer answer is... a little more complicated. When Aulea was pregnant, we went through all kinds of tests, but most of them focused on the fetus. However, we didn't realize a clogging in her arteries, nothing bad if treated in the early stages. But since we didn't _look_ for it, we only realized it after Noctis was born. Alas... she still managed to hold him in her arms and it was the happiest moment of our lives... until her cardiovascular system started failing. The doctors tried to save her and managed to... get her back, but she fell into a coma that she couldn't wake up from anymore."

Prompto listened as he held the king's hand, watched the many conflicting emotions wash over the man's face and realized that Regis still loved his wife, that his heart was still broken over her loss. "That's why it was so scary for Noctis to be in a coma," he whispered after a moment, his own emotions in a turmoil.

Regis simply nodded, obviously unable to get out words. His green eyes filled with tears and he raised his hand to rub at them, angrily wiping away whatever moisture had collected at the corners. For a few moments he sniffled miserably, until it seemed that he had calmed down enough again.

"He is... such a strong child now. I'm so proud of him, even when we have our differences every now and then. I know he's not coming as often as he should because seeing me like this scares him, hurts him, so I'm... I'm glad that you're here with me," Regis confessed, smiling through the curtain of his tears. He took another long, shuddering breath and closed his eyes before he managed to calm down again. 

When he spoke again, he was back to being the calm and composed ruler that everyone in Lucis knew and respected. It was astounding to see the change coming up in such a short time. Then again, it was Regis job to keep up a poker face and never let others know what he was thinking and he had practiced that for many years now.

Prompto wondered how Noctis would look like with as many years of experience, thus he tried to think of his boyfriend looking regal and strict, even if he had been drooling upon his shoulder just this morning, stubble growing without being trimmed since they didn't have any time or inspiration for this kind of grooming. Besides, Noctis' stubble went well with Prompto's goatee and the blond kind of liked it, so he didn't say anything about it.

"I know that Noctis feels much more relaxed because of you as well. Do not listen to the foul words people say, what you two have is a wonderful thing and you have my blessings for your future together," Regis continued warmly.

Prompto felt like choking up again, which had become a regular thing whenever he would sit and talk with Regis. He swallowed thickly and smiled, unable to find the right words to express his gratitude to be welcomed with open arms like this, to be accepted so easily.

"Thank you," he managed to get out, even though his voice broke. When Regis squeezed his hand with the wristbands gently, he remembered that Noctis had speculated that his father might know something about his barcode. He took a deep breath and pulled the leather bands up and a little apart to show off the deep dark lines.

Regis' eyebrows moved up in surprise and he looked up into Prompto's face, trying to read the blond's expression.

"I've had this... for as long as I can remember. I don't know what it means and I... never showed it anyone before I showed it to Noctis last week," Prompto explained, sounding much calmer than he felt. "He suggested that you might know something about it."

"Did he now? Well, show it to me," Regis said, his voice tentatively curious. As Prompto held his wrist in front of the king's face, the older man ran his fingers over the lines - much like Noctis had done. His brows twitched together into a little frown before he turned his hand around, obviously looking for other signs. "This is the only thing you've got?"

"Yes. My caretaker was very scared of it and told me to never show it to anyone," Prompto replied. "Have you ever seen anything like this before?"

"...I might have... it just rings a bell, but I can't place a finger on where I've seen this kind of design before..." He trailed off as he ran his thumb over the slightly elevated lines again and then pushed Prompto's hand back at him. "If I remember anything, I'll let you know as soon as possible."

"Thank you very much," Prompto replied with a nod, but Regis just shook his head.

"Thank you for showing me. I know how much trust you put into me now, and rest assured that I feel very honored for that."

Prompto returned the king's gentle smile and opened his mouth to say something, just to be interrupted by someone knocking on the door. 

"Your majesty, it's time for your medicine," one of the nurse said. Prompto recognized him and smiled as he got up, making sure to adjust his wristbands so that his tattoo would be hidden again.

"Thank you for today. Rest up, we could use your support," the blond said with one last squeeze of the king's hand. He left as the nurse exchanged the bags with clear liquid and closed the door behind him.

On his way back to his impromptu atelier in the Citadel, Prompto checked the news on his phone, but he didn't get very far, because both his Kwehtter feed and every other app was blowing up with emergency and urgent news. He stopped dead in his tracks when he finally got some details.

_Attack on Royal Train from Tenebrae! Queen Sylva Nox Fleuret and her son Ravus suspected to be among the victims! Whereabouts of Lunafreya unclear?_

Prompto felt the blood in his veins run cold. There had been months without any news of armament or any other rumors of the use of weapons from Niflheim, and suddenly such a big attack?

He checked other sources to make sure that he wasn't looking at a hoax, a conspiration or anything and after he had confirmed that every media had stopped talking about Noctis and Luna in favor of that surprise attack, Prompto sent Ignis a message asking where he and Noctis were so he could meet. He was sure that Noctis was already panicking, too.

His phone rang not a moment after he had sent the message.

"Come to our conference room," Ignis told him and Prompto could hear Noctis talk to him in the background, too, saying, "She won't pick up!"

"I'll be with you in a few," Prompto replied and hung up. He took the nearest route and realized with a start just how well he had memorized all the paths in the Citadel after basically living there for months now. He blushed as he thought about how far he had come to get there, from rock bottom to literally the top of the country. His best friend and lover was the crown prince and he had just had a fatherly talk to the king of the country.

It really was a lot and Prompto needed a moment not to get overwhelmed by the sheer weight of the implications of that and just prayed that he and Noctis would be able to live their lives as freely as they wished to even after everything came to light and Noctis succeeded Regis.

But right now they had much more pressing matters. He opened the door and found Noctis pacing the room, Gladio glaring at his own phone and Ignis typing away on a computer, wearing a headset to receive calls with much more ease.

"Hey," Prompto announced his presences and Noctis' head whipped around. He was still dressed in his black and gold suit, hair kempt a little, but looked like it had been pulled in every possible direction.

"Prom, thank god you're here," the prince sighed and walked over to hug him. 

"Yeah, I am," the blond smiled and ran his hand in a soothing motion over his boyfriend's back before they separated again. "What's the situation? Could you get a hold on Luna yet?"

"Not yet," Noctis replied with a worried frown. "She wasn't scheduled to be on that train, they were on their way here for... something secret, something important-"

"It's classified," Ignis interrupted gently. "They couldn't tell us, afraid that the connection was bugged. What we know so far is that the missile came from the south of Niflheim, a region that's been marked as mostly uninhabited. The only ones who used to live there from the data we have are farmers."

"Farmers don't send missiles to kill the leader of a nearby country," Prompto replied, frowning deeply as his brain tried to come up with various scenarios that could have led to that. Then he realized that he was doing the same as the people speculating on Kwehtter, putting blame when there was no evidence on who was to blame yet.

"No, but we will investigate this- Oh," Ignis said, fingers stopping.

"What is it?" Noctis demanded, stepping up next to his adviser to stare at the computer screen, trying to make sense of what he was seeing there in hopes it could give him the same clues that Ignis was obviously getting right in that moment.

"Nyx has just reported back through the secure line. He and Luna are safe, there had been a missile warning issued to the people in Tenebrae so they found refuge in the underground bunker of the castle. It's heavily shielded, no mobile connections going in or out except for the secure one. They had to rewire it though. Seems like maintenance didn't pay all that much attention to it," Ignis said, slumping in his chair. "He said they are safe, no one in Tenebrae got hurt and they will probably get out of the bunker soon enough."

"Oh thank the Six," Noctis sighed, finding the nearest chair to collapse onto it. Suddenly, he looked ten years older, tired and exhausted. Prompto felt sorry for him, but he wasn't even surprised. Even if Noctis and Luna were not dating at all, they still cared for each other a lot and were as close as siblings. Or at least as close as Prompto would think that siblings were.

"In total, there have been three missiles, all of them going towards the high-speed train at around fifteen hundred. Seems like they were trying to hit it for sure. Investigations report that the car with Queen Sylva wasn't hit directly, but with the detonation and derailment of the train, she fell victim to everything collapsing. Apparently she was trying to protect Ravus. He's still alive, but severely wounded. He was brought to a nearby hospital where he is treated. Doctors said that he's not out of danger yet and it looks like they have to amputate his arm," Ignis continued his report to Prompto, who frowned, still trying to make sense of everything that he had heard just now.

"...I hope he'll make it," Prompto heard himself whisper in the tense silence that spread out between them.

"He is strong," Gladio huffed. "He'll be back on his feet in no time. Someone's gotta rule after the queen's passing."

Noctis winced, because he didn't want to be reminded of those had died already. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, reminding Prompto of the same thing his father did just a few moments ago. When he opened his eyes again, they were more focused and Noctis looked determined enough to take on the whole world.

"We need to get out there. Investigate what is happening. _Who_ shot that missile and _why_ were they aiming for Queen Sylva. We need to protect Tenebrae, but we mustn't lose our focus on all the other countries under our protection. The people are afraid enough as things already are. We cannot allow this to throw us into another war," Noctis added, brows drawn into a frown that almost bordered on a glare.

Prompto had never seen Noctis look this determined before and he opened his mouth to say something, just when his phone started ringing.

He blinked and it took him a few rings to realize what he was supposed to do and when he picked up, he didn't quite believe what he was seeing.

It was the number of the medical service that was responsible for Regis' health, so when they called, Prompto didn't expect any good news.

"Hello?" he said, hoping that his voice sounded surer than he felt.

"Is this Prompto Argentum? We have you as an emergency contact after the prince and since the prince's phone isn't reachable, we are contacting you," the female voice at the other end said.

"Yes, I am. Did something happen?" Prompto asked, feeling spikes of panic licking at his insides, making his stomach churn.

"The king has had another relapse, sir. We managed to get him back, but he is in a coma now and we don't know if he's going to wake up again," the woman said and Prompto felt his stomach drop.

"Surely you mean _when_ , right?" Prompto managed to ask as he was already trying to imagine how to tell Noctis about this new information.

"I'm afraid not, sir," the woman replied, her voice trembling just a little. 

"I... I see... Well, um, good work, I will tell the... the prince about it. I'm sure we will come to visit soon," Prompto returned and said his goodbyes before he ended the call. 

He looked up into Noctis' face and just the pain and hope and worry there made his throat constrict. 

Oh, how he hated being the harbinger of bad news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. The plot thickens. :D


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lots of things happen at once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm... sorry? (Get some tissues...)

As expected, Noctis was devastated to find his father in a coma. Since the memory of Regis talking about the time when Noctis had fallen into a coma himself was still fresh in Prompto's mind, he could sympathise with his pain as well. However, as things were, while Regis was stable but weak, there was little to nothing they could do.

Explaining what had happened to Noctis hadn't been easy and Prompto had stumbled over the words again and again, even though it wasn't all that much. Regis has had another relapse, a bad one and they just so managed to bring him back and didn't know whether he would wake up again or not. 

Saying these words hurt. They hurt even more, because Noctis' face reflected all the conflicting emotions that Prompto felt himself, and they were both at the brink of tears once Prompto was finished. Once they reached the king's bedroom, the doctor gave them a few more technical details, but Prompto wasn't able to process them at all. He couldn't stop watching Noctis as he held his father's fragile looking hand, his heart breaking into little pieces as he saw Noctis crumble in the chair next to the bed.

It was obvious that Noctis wasn't able to make any big decisions now, so it was all the more important that his friends and adviser's kept a cool head to support him in any way they could. Unconsciously, Prompto straightened his back and glanced to Ignis, who looked completely shaken himself but was trying to keep his cool demeanor. Gladio was a little more transparent, but he too straightened his back as soon as Noctis glanced over to them.

"Please," he whispered, looking so utterly broken that Prompto felt almost physically hurt. "I-"

"We will be by your side," Ignis said quickly and more resolutely than Prompto trusted himself to be. 

"Yeah, you can trust us. Like usual," Gladio added as he crossed his arms.

Through his tear-stained eyes, Noctis managed a smile and turned to look at Prompto, whose throat suddenly clamped up. He didn't know what to say, he had no idea how he could sound as reassuring as the other two, the only thing he knew was that he wanted to help Noctis through this hard time. He never had anyone when his caretaker died and that was the time when he had needed someone the most, so he wanted to be at least someone that Noctis could rely on, where he could mourn and be himself.

Thus, he mouthed words he had uttered before, but was unable to get them out at full volume like the other two. "Ever at your side."

Noctis smiled and nodded before he blinked away more tears and turned to look at his father on the bed, looking just a little more relaxed.

"We need to make sure... that we can still protect Tenebrae," he said after a few moments, not turning around.

"Of course," Ignis said, getting out a pen and paper. "We need to assess the damage and danger that has been caused by the attack first, if we can send more people to Tenebrae. We don't have that many airplanes, even if we've been stocking up on them. There are boats, but they take more than a day-"

"Do whatever you must," Noctis sighed. "Talk to Clarus, make sure the Kingsglaive, the troops and Crownsguard are prepared, I don't want to see any more casualties, especially not among the civilians."

"Very well," Ignis replied after a moment of hesitation. "I will be back. Gladio can you... I need your assistance."

"Sure," Gladio nodded, turning with the other to leave the room. "You guys don't stay too long. You need to rest as well and there isn't much you can do anyway."

Noctis just grunted in response while Prompto waved them off. Once they were out of earshot, he heard Noctis mumble full of remorse, "I should have come here more often... I should have spent more time with him... What if he won't wake up anymore? What if I can't say goodbye? He's... he's my only family..."

His voice broke again, and he bit his lip as he tried in vain to hold back his tears. It wasn't easy not to break out in tears as well, but Prompto didn't want to get overwhelmed by his own emotions and break down in front of Noctis. He wanted to stay strong, _had_ to be strong for Noctis. Of course, he mourned as well, but to him, it was so much more important that Noctis had someone to support him, who was there for him.

"I... I don't remember much from when my caretaker died," Prompto started softly, teetering back and forth on his feet. "Much... less from before. When she was sick. I just remember not realizing how bad it was, so I... didn't pay much attention. And then... I came home one day from...running around, taking pictures and... there she was. Dead. Looking just like she had fallen asleep in her favorite chair. I... didn't even really say goodbye that day."

Noctis blinked then wiped his tears away before he looked questioningly at Prompto.

"I was... always like that. I didn't have much of an emotional bond with... with anyone, not even with her. I think I was shocked, but I only cried much later on, when it came crushing down on me. I hadn't eaten in days, I was cold and miserable and didn't know where to go... So I cried," Prompto continued. "I realized that I was all alone, had always been and that was even more devastating. I realized... that my caretaker only took care of me so that I could take care of myself once I was old enough."

Noctis blinked again, looking a little more irritated. "Did she...?"

"Hm? No, it wasn't suicide. It's... complicated, but thinking back on it, it was obvious that she had been sick even before we got here and it was only a matter of time, so she tried to distance herself as much as she could with... with an infant that needed constant care," Prompto shrugged. 

He could see that Noctis had no idea what he wanted to say with this. "I... don't know. I think finding her lifeless body was worse than realizing that she wasn't in my life anymore. And... I don't have many positive memories with her. But... with your father... it's the complete opposite. I've only known him for a short while, but to see him like this... It feels worse than the hunger after not having eaten anything for days."

Prompto took a deep breath and held out his hand for Noctis to take, standing awkwardly next to the bed. Noctis hesitated before he raised a hand to hold onto Prompto's, the other was still covering his father's.

"I don't want you to be alone with this, nor do I think that I can bear this on my own," Prompto continued, afraid that his voice would falter after all. "I... When I said, 'ever at your side,' I mean it. I'll be by your side through this, please don't hesitate to share your pain with me. I'll gladly shoulder half of it."

Noctis watched him and then bit his lip as tears seemed to overcome him again. "I don't deserve you...," he whispered before he started sobbing again.

Prompto chuckled and leaned down to hug his boyfriend. "That's not for you to decide," he said softly, holding Noctis tight as sobs shook his entire body.

~*~

By midnight, troops coming from Niflheim had closed all roads from and to Tenebrae. A few hours before, the government had insisted that it wasn't their doing, no matter if the troops were wearing the old Imperial insignia.

Ignis admitted that he was inclined to believe the chancellor, and their suspicions were confirmed when everyone of the government was put under arrest and was replaced with people from the military, names that no one had ever heard of.

The bags under Noctis' eyes grew every hour, even if he nodded off every now and then, just to wake up with a start a few moments later. Prompto watched the whole thing a few times with growing worry, until he asked Gladio and Ignis for help. They came up with a kind of rotation system, where Prompto would make sure that Noctis fell asleep properly and sleep for at least four hours while the other two would make sure with Gladio's father as the head of Lucis' military that Lucis' armament grew so that they were ready to defend themselves should these renegades from Niflheim decide to attack. However, they seemed to stop after taking over Tenebrae.

The scary part was, it took them less than twenty-four hours. Once they had reached the palace, it was easy for them to assume control of the rest of the kingdom and afraid of war and destruction, Tenebrae surrendered easily under the conditions that no civilian would be harmed. 

Luna's phone was still cut off from communicating with the outside world, so Noctis had no way of talking to her in person and they had to rely on Nyx' reports. And what he reported sounded more and more frustrated.

At first it was just the approaching troops of Niflheim, then it was about Luna being stubborn, but after four days, Nyx sounded that he was about to murder someone. _Whom_ he wanted to murderchanged almost every hour, but when it continued to be Luna for being a 'stubborn prick' that 'cared more about a bunch of flowers than the her own life and that of her unborn child', Ignis couldn't help but mutter under his breath that he hoped Nyx wouldn't do anything stupid.

He didn't contact them again for the next twenty four hours until Noctis was about to take half of the troops Gladio had gathered and storm into Tenebrae himself. They only managed to calm him down and talk him out of it when they got a weak communiqué from Nyx that he had taken Luna out of Tenebrae with a hijacked plane and was on the way to Insomnia. It still took Nyx much too long to fly to the Crown City, leaving them all on the edge beyond their hours of sleep. The reunion of the two childhood friends was as warm and intense as anyone could imagine. Noctis hugged Luna as tight as he dared to right after the plane had landed, amazed by how big her belly had already gotten. In return, Luna smiled at him and offered her comfort and hopes that Regis would be able to make it after all. Noctis voiced his condolences for Luna's loss of her mother and returned her words of sympathy for Ravus, although he looked like breaking down again. Luna stayed strong and told him that everything would be fine, which seemed to cheer Noctis up enough to return her smiles. For a few moments, they could forget about all their hardships and just be happy for each other for a while.

However, the media didn't quite perceive Luna's rescue as that. With Ravus - the heir apparent to the throne of Tenebrae - hospitalized, people somehow expected her to stand at the front line when the troops from Niflheim marched in to occupy the peaceful kingdom. They expected her to do something, to stop them with the divine power inherited by the Oracle, when she was just a simple human being after all.

Nyx was - understandably - beyond himself with anger and bewilderment. He kept on ranting how he couldn't understand that the people would rather see her in danger in the hands of some rogue army from Niflheim. He wanted her to be safe, safer than anyone in all of the world, couldn't they see that this was the best for her and anyone else?

Luna didn't speak a word with him for a few days, because she was incredibly upset at him for, as he had basically abducted her. Sure, she was still pregnant, but she was also just over the phase of morning sickness and felt like she could move mountains. Sure, she was supposed to be resting and not exhaust herself, but that didn't mean that she was immobile _or_ disabled. And her people needed her, she needed to be with them and guide them out of her misery. Or at least through it, until they were able to get over it themselves.

Prompto watched these fights with growing worry and wondered what the outcome for their relationship would be. He feared that this might turn into a nasty breakup and that was the last thing he wanted. Especially since his relationship with Noctis was just facing its first very big hurdle itself.

He didn't think they were doing bad, but he felt extremely helpless because there was so little that he could do for Noctis. No matter what it was, Prompto wanted to do so much more, but every time he asked what he could do, Noctis said there wasn't anything and even when Prompto asked Ignis for help, the royal advisor would come up with nothing, too.

So Prompto found himself doing the only things that he could do, which were painting and listening to people. He listened to Noctis, who usually didn't talk much, but just liked to know that Prompto would be there to hold him whenever he needed to not be alone. Sometimes, Prompto would tell him about his father's progress, but since it was improving so slowly, there wasn't always anything new to tell.

Prompto also listened to Gladio rant. Which was rather amusing, because if the Shield were in command, they would have marched right into Gralea and arrested that rogue group of soldiers, each and every last one of them. The only thing that was holding him back was the fact that they were just a handful of people against what seemed like hundreds of thousands of people. Gladio did wonder where all of these people came from in such an unfriendly environment that was the snow and ice of Niflheim, but it was more like an afterthought that they didn't persuade any further.

Prompto also listened to Ignis. Ignis didn't say much, he was more thinking about strategies and warfare while he was trying to come up with new recipes in the royal kitchen. Watching him work in his apron with flour, eggs and fruits was a bit like painting himself and Prompto realized that they could look good working side by side. However, he also realized that the chemicals of his paints shouldn't be mixed with foods. So, that was an idea that he should bury right from the start.

Prompto found himself talking a lot with Luna. They were friends already, but with the fact that they were both limited to the Citadel, they became even closer. That was why he knew just how she was thinking about the fact that Nyx had taken her out of Tenebrae. However, she talked to him about her fears after coming out about her pregnancy and all the other things that she had been trying to hide all these years to protect her from various shortcomings.

The one that she feared the most was that the people would shun her. Unfortunately for her it seemed like this was the most likely outcome.

The rainbow press had started digging up everything they could, short of revealing her husband's identity. People that Prompto didn't even know talked about her years long deception, huffing and puffing around about this and that until the issue had become a full-blown scandal. They kept talking as if they had known everything in advance, had known every little new detail before it even came to light.

Thus, even someone as gentle and forgiving as Luna became angry and needed to vent to someone. And since she was getting tired of blaming Nyx for everything, she ended up talking to Prompto more often than anyone else. Noctis was so busy dealing with the other countries and their panic over the annexation of Tenebrae by rogue Niflheim that he didn't have much time to listen to Luna as much as she needed him to. So, she would talk to Prompto, Noctis would talk to Prompto and Prompto would tell everything to Regis, who was still in coma. In the morning, he would sit there with Noctis, who would talk to his father about politics before he left for the day, then it was Prompto who asked the Astrals to protect both Noctis and Regis.

He had never been all that religious, but being among all the evidence that those things out of the legends had _really_ happened, made him think. What if there _had_ once been magic? What if those Crystals from ancient Solheim had been real and didn't break when the King of Light ended the eternal darkness? What if Noctis' birthmark really symbolized the fatal wound Ardyn Lucis Caelum sustained before his passage to the divine plane?

Really, his time at the Citadel had made him think about all this spiritual stuff so much that he started praying to all the Astrals in rotation himself. As ancient and different from his usual style as they were, he found inspiration in the clear and almost realistic looking figures of the gods and how the people from 500 years ago imagined them. Shiva and Ifrit as lovers, Ramuh as the wise old bringer of lightning and thunder, Titan who shouldered the weight of the world, Leviathan as a snake-like being from the depths of the ocean and Bahamut as both a rival to Ifrit and the leader of them all, a guide to the line of the Lucis Caelum on their pursuit of the light.

He hesitated talking to Noctis about his thoughts though, because Noctis was so very unimpressed about it. To him, all of this was part of his daily life, just like painting was for Prompto. In fact, Prompto didn't even know if Noctis had ever stopped to think about whether or not all of these things were real or not.

Luna, on the other hand, was aware of the fact that she was a direct descendant of the Oracle and that was why she loved her role in _The Game of the Gods_ so much. However, with the scandal of her secret marriage and her pregnancy that was getting harder and harder to hide with every passing day, it was obvious that something was going to happen to her character in the TV series. 

What though, she had absolutely not expected.

"Can you believe this?" she gasped and handed Prompto the script to read. She did wait long enough for him to get to the part where her character was to die tragically by an arrow into her back while everyone was travelling peacefully to the shore. All the time Luna was pacing back and forth angrily.

"...They're killing off the Oracle?!" he asked, wide-eyed with shock. "I thought she was the main character."

"I know, I can't believe it either," Luna huffed, sinking down into one of the plush chairs in her assigned chambers. They were full with memorabilia of the Oracle and Luna had been staying there before when she had visited Noctis. It suited her, too, reminding Prompto of his own visits to Tenebrae, with its gentle beige and browns, accentuated by the vivid blue of the Sylleblossoms in every corner.

"But that's not all. Look at the notes at the end of the episodes," Luna sighed, grabbing a bottle of water to take a long sip.

Prompto skipped to the end of the thick manuscript to read the notes of the screenwriter about where the series was heading.

"...Wait, if I get this right, Ardyn will be rejected to become the King of Light?!"

"Yes, apparently he is only half the man without the Oracle. The Astrals deem him as unworthy to join them on the divine plane because he cured so many people of the Starscourge that his own soul is going to be corrupted," Luna summarized the rest of the episode that Prompto hadn't read. "I have no idea where they're trying to go with this, but it sounds as if they want to turn him into a tragic hero that becomes a villain."

"That... either sounds like lazy writing. Or it's gonna be brilliant. But... isn't this blasphemy?" Prompto asked, skimming through a few more pages of the script, reading a few of the dialogues that just confirmed what Luna had just summarized for him.

"Making this whole series was pretty much blasphemy right from the start. Everything we do each and every day is blasphemy," Luna huffed as she squeezed the small plastic bottle in her hands. "So, no, this isn't worse than anything else, it's just that this is simply a plot to kick me out of the series. _Without informing me first_ ," she growled and Prompto looked up, more surprised by the fact that he had just heard Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret _growl_ in anger.

"They did _what_?" Prompto stared at her, flabbergasted and utterly taken aback by the revelation.

"You heard that right! They cut me out without informing me first, nor did they tell my manager or anyone else. At least Ravus seems to be getting better quickly enough that he can leave hospital soon," Luna sighed, fiddling with the label of her water bottle.

"Thank god, how long has it been? Three weeks?"

"Almost four," Luna nodded with a soft smile. "I'm glad he made so much progress. Of course, I still miss mother, but... _this_ makes me so angry!"

Prompto smiled sympathetically, before he skipped further through the pages without really reading anything. He continued to listen to Luna rant, but he couldn't help but think that it had almost been almost four weeks that Regis was in a coma now and that he gave absolutely no sign of waking up.

Well, at least he was still alive. Noctis seemed to have finally accepted the fact that he wasn't going to wake up any time soon. At least he didn't burst into tears every morning anymore and could talk to his father without his voice breaking, too. The doctors had told Prompto that the chances of Regis waking up grew every day, but no one dared to tell Noctis about this information. They didn't want his hopes to get up for nothing.

Two mornings later, Noctis stopped mid-sentence and stared down at the king's frail hand in his and whispered, "He moved."

"Huh?" Prompto asked, getting up to his feet to stand next to his boyfriend. He looked at the monitors around them and for whatever reason, they all seemed to change from before, growing in intensity and frequency, too. But at least they were still on silent mode.

"He... he moved his hand! There! He did it again!" Delighted, Noctis looked up into Regis' face just to see him frown and wrinkle his nose, looking just like he was going to wake up. Sure, he was still frail, but he was fighting.

"Dad?" Noctis said, his own voice full of careful hope that was still obscured by fear that he was just imagining things.

Regis calmed down again, but the lines on the monitor continued to stay strong. He gave one long exhale while Noctis lowered his head again, obviously losing what little hope he had just had.

"Dad..."

"...my... my son... Noct..." The king's voice was still frail, raspy and barely audible, but it was there. 

"Dad!"

Regis' eyes opened slowly, searching around until they landed on Noctis who did his best to hold back his tears. "Noct... I get to see you again..."

"Dad, don't... don't talk. Save your energy," Noctis said, choking on his tears. Prompto bit his lip, but he too was moved. 

"You've become a fine man, my son," Regis smiled, doing his best to squeeze the hand he was holding. "And you're here as well... Noct. Hold onto your man and never let him go."

"I'll... I'll get a doctor," Prompto chimed in, turning towards the door. He didn't get very far though, because a nurse stepped in. He blinked as he stepped to the side, watching the man step inside.

"We got the alarm that you woke up again, your majesty. You must be weak," he said as he checked the monitors. "I've informed a doctor, he will be with us shortly. In the meantime, I will take the king's vitals, so could you please wait outside?"

"Um, I'd rather stay with-"

The nurse interrupted Noctis rather quickly. "Please, it's for everyone's good."

Noctis didn't look one bit as if he liked to leave, but as the nurse stared him down, he decided to give in. For now. He didn't have much energy to fight left in him after all these weeks.

"We'll be right in front of the door," he said icily and pushed Prompto out by his elbow.

The blond stared back over his shoulder at the nurse until the doors closed, a feeling of dread lingering in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't quite place. It felt like a panic attack, but then again, it felt more like a warning 

"Noct... you said everyone got a background check... What's up with this guy?" he asked as they waited for the doctor.

"He... um, I think Ignis said that he came originally from Niflheim after the last war had ended, but has lived in Insomnia for more than two decades now, why?" Noctis explained, listing the facts that he had obviously been told before. However, he sounded rather doubtful himself now.

"I think this guy was here just before everytime Regis had another relapse," Prompto said with sudden clarity.

"Wait... You're not saying..." Noctis gasped, his eyes wide in shock and fear.

"I am saying we shouldn't have left the room," Prompto breathed before he turned around and pushed the door back open.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dedicate this chapter to [Akumeoi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akumeoi), who also helped me out with beta-ing my submission for the Trias-Zine. Follow the twitter <http://twitter.com/TriasFFXVZine> for more Info!
> 
>    
>  ~~Oh God, I have a bad conscience posting this chapter right after getting the news that Stan Lee has died. D:~~


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis becomes king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BTW, the date is Thursday, July 13th, M.E. 763. If you want a timeline, I can post that. :) Or hit me up in [our Discord](https://discord.gg/PAqXGrn) about this.
> 
> Also, I hope you still have your tissues from last week.

The scene that was in the middle of unfolding in the King's hospital room was almost peaceful, but terrifying at the same time. Almost like a scene out of a B-movie, surreal and yet super scary.

Next to the King's bed stood the nurse, a syringe in his hands with some remnants left of a clear liquid he had just emptied into the IV that went straight to Regis' bloodstream. The man looked up, his pale blue eyes widening with shock and surprise before they narrowed, his whole body tensing up until he looked like a dangerous animal, ready to leap.

"No," Noctis gasped in shock where he was right behind Prompto, rooted on the spot, paling rapidly. The monitors showed how Regis heartbeat slowed down, his breathing as well and then the monitors jumped back to life with red alerts and loud beeping, sending out warnings to every doctor that had ever been assigned to the king. Prompto thought the beeping sound alone would be able wake the dead, but it didn't seem like Regis would react to even that.

However, it seemed to be working on Noctis."Dad!" he cried out and pushed past Prompto to rush to his father's side. He took his hand, then touched his face just to pull his hand away as if it was burned just to shook him by the shoulder. "No, no, no, don't die! Please, you can't do this to me...!"

Off the radar for now, Prompto and the nurse turned to look at each other, frozen on the spot until the latter backed off the bed slowly. He held Prompto's gaze in a surreal way as if he was trying to hypnotize him into staying put while he made his way to the window and it took Prompto almost too long to realize what he wanted to do.

"Freeze!" He yelled and jumped to action without thinking twice about it.

Noctis told him afterwards that he looked like taking a giant leap so quickly that his eyes were almost unable to follow, but to Prompto, it felt like an eternity until he had reached the nurse so that he could wrestle the syringe out of his hands, throw it somewhere and then push the man to the ground as well. The man fought back hard, throwing fists at Prompto, too fast for him to realize what was happening. Instinctively, he evaded whatever sharp objects the nurse would use against him while trying to throw punches that probably looked lame to anyone watching the scene. With the experience of a thousand episodes of some police drama running on TV in the background, Prompto managed to turn the other man around and pin his arms to his back while he sat down on his ass, making sure that the nurse wouldn't be able to get up again.

Immobilized like that, the only thing he could do was to talk, even though he did try his hardest to struggle, but thanks to his position, Prompto had the upper hand. Plus, he realized that working out his arms had definitely its perks now, because he could easily keep him pinned."Fuck you!" the nurse spat once he had realized that he wouldn't be getting anywhere with his struggles. 

"What have you been doing?! What was in that syringe? Poison?" Prompto demanded, pushing and pulling the man's arms up to his shoulder until he cried out in pain.

"You will never find out!" he spat.

"Oh, we will," Prompto growled and pushed at the man's arm again, wondering where the doctors and everyone else were as they must have surely gotten the alarm about Regis' condition hours ago, or so it felt for him. "But I'm sure things'll get a lot easier for you if you just spilled the beans!"

"Never!" the man cried and started up again. He pulled on Prompto's hold on his arms, his wristbands coming loose. Due to his struggling, Prompto could see that there was something on the other side of his wrist, dark black lines etched into his skin that looked like rhombs on either side, making it look just like Prompto's.

Surprised, he stopped applying pressure to just stare at the man's wrist, only realizing how lax his hold had gotten when the fake nurse almost managed to get his hands free again.

Luckily, it was then that Gladio busted through the door, along with two doctors and another nurse following right behind him. Ignis came last, but he rushed to Noctis' side while Gladio helped Prompto holding the criminal down.

"We're losing him!" One of the doctors yelled and then barked out commandos at the others. However, despite their combined effort to reanimate Regis, the constant beep wouldn't change back to a heartbeat.

In the meantime, some guards had appeared to take the fake nurse into custody. Prompto went to look for the syringe he had wrestled out of his hands earlier, just to find it had rolled under the bed. He got it out carefully, his face lighting up when he realized that there was still some of the poison left in it.

"Hey, can you find out what this is from what's left in here?" Prompto asked one of the doctors, who blinked and stared at Prompto first and then the syringe. 

"What is this?" he demanded before he took the syringe, frowning at the clear liquid. 

"Um, it's what this... _guy_ injected into... into the king's bloodstream. I think he did it over the past months, too. Like, um, I've always seen him just before the king had another relapse..." Prompto stammered, unable to get out the words straight from the adrenaline still pumping in his veins. At the same time he wondered if he really was the only one who had noticed.

"Get this to the lab, we'll need to analyze this!" the doctor ordered his colleague, who nodded and dashed off as quickly as he could.

Once his adrenaline levels had gone down to normal, Prompto turned to the doctor who had stayed behind and asked softly:"Do you think it will... Can we do anything for... Regis?" 

Unfortunately, the man just shook his head. Noctis, who already seemed to be coming apart at the seams, crumbled into the seat next to his father's body. Regis still lay on the bed, his shirt still open where the doctors had been trying to reanimate him and was losing color quickly. The whole scene was so heartbreaking that Prompto had to avert his eyes.

Why couldn't he have realized what the hell was going on sooner? How could he not make that simple connection when it started to become imminent, like, after the third time or so? Prompto turned his head to look at Noctis again, his stomach churning as he opened his mouth to apologize, but he wasn't sure if Nocts would be able to hear what he had to say. So, he just watched how Noctis squeezed his father's hand gently before sobs shook his body and he started crying on his chest.

His sobs were silent at first while the doctor finally turned off the monitors. He threw one last look at the four young men that were left behind, muttering a soft "Sorry," before he took his leave as well. Noctis' tears continued to be silent until Ignis put a hand on his shoulder. After that, Noctis started wailing and cried his heart out over the loss of his father, the last remainder of his family. Now it was only him who was left behind in the line of the royal family.

Prompto had an eerie deja-vu to the scene more than a month ago, when they first were here, after Regis had barely survived what they had then thought was just another relapse. Back then, they were still wondering why Niflheim had attacked Queen Sylva, worrying about Luna and the people of Tenebrae. So much had happened in that short time since then, and Regis would have made it out alive easily if not for the fact that he had been poisoned all this time.

Later that day, the laboratory found out that the poison would have been undetectable after it entering the body. Which is why they never suspected anything and thought that Regis' problems just stemmed from his age and his old war wound. Noctis listened to the report stoically, not a muscle in his face moving. Then again, he had been crying for three hours straight and when he went to bed that night with Prompto, he was crying again.

~*~

King Regis death was announced to the public the following day. First they wanted to interrogate the fake nurse and Gladio and Nyx took it upon themselves to do the questioning. While they were pretty sure about the man's motives, Lucian law demanded that even someone who had been caught in the act of poisoning the king was subjected to a fair trial. They had the evidence and the murder weapon, now they just needed a clear motive.

Of course, the nurse said nothing. Which didn't stop the newspapers from going wild with speculations. The headlines were all over the front pages, "The King is dead!", "Poisoned by a Niff immigrant!" and "Long live the new king!"

Noctis declined any and all requests for an interview, so the news kept on speculating until they found the doctors and other nurses. Of course, they were obligated to say nothing, but somehow the press found out that Prompto had been the one to stop the criminal single-handedly. 

After that, it didn't take them long to seek him out. He didn't know how they found out, but it seemed that it was easy to come to the conclusion that the mysterious blond man who had been with Prince Noctis on his trips to Tenebrae and Altissia was also the same man who had stopped the murderer of King Regis from killing the crown prince as well.

When the first reporter approached Prompto through the official channels of the Citadel, he was more than just a little wary about it, but Ignis assured him that they would control whatever the woman wanted to publish beforehand. Still, he was careful when he answered questions about that last assault, mostly because he didn't know himself anymore what had really happened.

A few hours later, the notifications of his Kwehtter started blowing up because people had apparently realized that he was the same guy as the national hero who had prevented the end of the line of the Lucis. Some already made the connection to Monsters of the Deep, but luckily, most people just knew about his works for the Citadel and _Game of the Gods_. 

For a few moments, Prompto was afraid that they would also find out which role Noctis played in Monsters of the Deep, but no matter how much he searched, he found no hints about Noct Gar being the secret persona of Noctis Lucis Caelum anywhere. Which was quite a relief.

Prompto declined all other requests for interviews because he was just as busy as everyone else at the Citadel preparing the old King's funeral. His shield took upon himself the duty to make sure that the protocol was followed at all times, that everyone who needed to be there would make it to the reception, which would be held with all possible honors. The big ceremonial room that honored the King of Light and the Oracle would be filled up to the last seat with every official and everyone who followed Regis' way for a significant time along the way to bring peace to Eos.

For that, Prompto would need a bespoke suit so that he would look good next to Noctis. It would be his first official outing as the partner to the Prince of Lucis, something that Noctis had suggested and that was backed by Ignis. After he had gauged the reactions of the people to the revelation of Prompto's role in arresting the one who was behind the poisoning of the King, he approved of Noctis' plea to let Prompto stand by his side during all the parts of the funeral and not just the private part.

So while he stood there, getting measured for his suit, Luna decided to join Prompto to talk about the deal she negotiated for with the producers of _Game of the Gods_. Thanks to the King's death, her own scandal had been pushed to the background and she could breath a little better now, but her character would still find death by the end of the currently running season. Soon, they would film her last scene, which was probably for the better with how much her pregnancy was progressing.

After that, the producers had agreed to go with an alternative ending of the legend: Since the Oracle wasn't there to plead for the life of the King of Light, he never came back from the dead. People would forget about his good deeds, erased from history by his jealous brother who pronounced himself king in Ardyn's stead. The director pleaded to give him free reign after Luna's end in the series, and with his reputation of making _Game of the Gods_ the most successful TV series in the history of Lucis, the producers and the broadcaster allowed him to do whatever he want.

Prompto congratulated her for finding a good compromise, or at least he thought it was a good one. He was hit by a pang of guilt because neither he nor Noctis had apologized to her in person yet or stood up for her in public.

"It's okay," Luna smiled sympathetically at him. "I know you've had a lot of other things on your plate," she added and Prompto just wanted to hug her more. "I'm glad he has you, he needs you now more than anyone else."

Prompto knew that it was true, too. Every night, Noctis would cling to him tightly, needing to listen to his heartbeat to make sure that he was still there, to confirm that he was still alive, too. He kept apologizing for it, belittling it as silly, but since Prompto had no idea how to fare with someone who was mourning like Noctis, he told him that it was okay, that he loved him and that he was proud of him for being who he was.

His suit was ready the next day. It was made out of the finest black fabric, accentuating Prompto's body in the right way to make him look like a noble. Only his blond hair stood out like a sore thumb, making it obvious that he wasn't from Lucis in the first place after all.

He kept thinking back to the nurse's markings on his wrist, wondering if they had really been the same. So far, he had told no one about this, not even Noctis, but he knew that he shouldn't keep this to himself any longer. It seemed to be important and maybe it was also the key to his own heritage.

So the night before the funeral, Prompto showed Noctis the tattoo again as they lay in bed together late at night."I think... _he_ had a tattoo like this."

"Who?" Noctis asked, running his thumb over the dark lines again. 

"He... The guy who killed... the king," Prompto said slowly, unsure what to call the murderer of Noctis' father. "His wristbands... They got pushed up his arms when I held them against his back. I didn't see much of it, but... do you see those rhombs? He had those, too. And... for some reason I don't think he'd hide them if he thought they were fashionable."

"...You're saying..."

"We... may come from the same place," Prompto whispered, and saying those words out loud hurt, even though he had no idea why. Just because bad people come from one place, it didn't mean that everyone from that place was bad, right?

"Really? You... looked nothing alike to me," Noctis replied softly, running his fingers over Prompto's tattoo until the skin there was all sensitive and tender. Still, Prompto didn't pull his hand away, he just voiced a little wince. Noctis let go then, allowing Prompto to put his wristband back on, breathing a big sigh.

"I will see for myself," Noctis said resolutely, his voice taking on that regal timbre that Prompto had heard so many times from Regis before. "And I will take care of it."

Rendered speechless for a moment, Prompto only nodded before he settled down into the bed, getting cozy with Noctis lying down on his shoulder, just like every night.

~*~

The day of the funeral started early, with people barging into Noctis' room to start dressing him. Luckily, Prompto had already been awake and dressed in his running clothes, because he would have jumped out of his skin otherwise. The worst part was that they also started dressing him as well, as if he didn't know how to tie his shoelaces or something.

Before the ceremony started, every official and everyone who had accompanied Regis' for a while had come to attend the funeral, offered their condolences to Noctis in person, shaking his hand and offering words of solace or advice to the young king. Prompto watched curiously from where he stood next to Noctis, his face mostly obscured by bangs that he didn't have time to cut, brushed to the sides to resemble at least something that looked like a haircut. It was a change from the usual all-back hairdo of the prince, making him look like a completely different person. They had shaved him, but Prompto thought that maybe he wanted to grow out his beard to hide himself further from all these these people. Strangers who thought they knew anything about what Noctis was feeling or wanted to do right now, when he had never seen them talk to Noctis before or visit Regis while he was sick.

He remembered voicing his concerns about his place next to Noctis after they had gotten dressed, since he was a commoner and basically just a nobody compared to everyone else there, but Noctis had insisted that Prompto stayed with him through all of this, just like he had done ever since his father had fallen ill. 

That argument had rendered Prompto speechless and he had just nodded, following his boyfriend's step out to the to the ceremonial room, where they waited at the bottom of the stairs in front of the open casket.

As a commoner with no official ties to the royal house except for a loose liaison to the rightful king, Prompto was required to stay a little bit behind Noctis, but he didn't really mind sitting in the second row. It made it a little hard to hold his boyfriend's had, to remind him that he was still there, but it made it easier for Prompto to hide in the shadows. Despite everything that had happened, despite the close relationship he had developed to the king, Prompto didn't know until the last moment whether or not he felt like he deserved to go the the funeral. He _wasn't_ related to Regis in any other way than dating his son, but the more he mulled the thought over, the more he realized that it would be unfair to Noctis if he just ran away while Noctis was required to stay and accept all these condolences from people he didn't even care about because _he_ didn't have the freedom to hide away himself.

So, he swallowed his stage-fright and anxieties and focused only on Noctis, because that was what he was good at. The detachment helped him as well so that he didn't get too emotional in front of all these strangers and he realized that it had been the same during his caretaker's funeral.

Back when she had died, there had been a short ceremony before the ashes were lowered into the ground conducted by a priest apprentice, but it was nothing compared to the long litany of the head priest on the life of the King. Sure, everyone probably knew more about Regis' life than Prompto had known about his caretaker's life so there was a lot more to talk about, but it was still... _weird_ to hear all these big words about the nice old man that Prompto had gotten to know as his boyfriend's father.

Once again, he realized that there were _worlds_ between the Prince of Lucis and Noct, and Prompto could understand a bit better why he wanted to flee all of this with his own band.

During the funeral march from the Citadel to the family mausoleum of the Lucii, Prompto walked in the middle of Gladio and Ignis, who were right behind Noctis. The blond even managed to forget about his own nervousness as he watched Noctis mechanically take one heavy step after the other, looking all forlorn and lonely there right behind the casket that was pulled by the noblest Chocobos, led by both Kingsglaive and Crownsguard.

Prompto wanted nothing more than to pull Noctis into a hug and never let go, but he knew that would have to wait until they were back in private. He didn't know when that would be, although Ignis had talked to him about the schedule more than once so that he wouldn't forget.

Despite everything, Prompto managed to squeeze Noctis' hand while they got in position to watch how Regis' mortal remains would be lowered into the ground. He kept his position right behind his boyfriend when the casket was covered with a heavy flagstone, his body sealed and his immortal soul sanctified, so that he could join his forefathers in the afterlife to keep watch over Lucis from there.

With another blessing from the priest, the funeral party headed back to the Citadel, where they would talk even more about Regis in a way that Prompto wouldn't recognize him.

Noctis wore an indifferent mask through all of the speeches and once the mandatory part was over, he excused himself to his room. The following day was still important, because then he would have his inauguration in front of the council. The coronation ceremony would follow in a few months, after the mourning for the old king was over, but that didn't mean that Lucis could continue without a King.

The inauguration would be completely formal and just about the affairs of the state, while the coronation would also ask for the blessings of the gods. Noctis confided that he already asked for their blessings in private, that he asked for their guidance every morning which surprised Prompto as much as it didn't. Since he had been looking to the gods himself for strength, he could understand that Noctis did the same, especially since he was supposed to be much closer to the gods than anyone else.

Prompto watched the ceremony from a balcony in the throne room, watched how the council bowed to acknowledge Noctis as their new leader. However, those people were old and seemed uninterested in changing their way of thinking towards anything that was important to Noctis. Well, at least he had Gladio and Ignis at his side as his shield and advisor.

Clarus seemed proud enough that his son took over his duties, at least to Prompto. The few times that he had met Gladio's and Iris' father, he seemed nice enough but maybe a little too forward. In many ways, he seemed to be a lot like his oldest child, straightforward and sometimes a little rash, but always fair. Quite different than the other members of the council. 

After passing his duties of the King's Shield over to his son, Clarus would remain in the council, but he would also stay as the chief-in-command for the Lucian troops, leading the Crownsguard first and foremost. Technically, Gladio would be in charge of the Kingsglaive, but he had already said that he didn't want to bring chaos to close-knit team, so they would stay the way they were.

The first thing Noctis ordered after his formal inauguration was a month of national mourning. He hoped that it would help him and Lucis to acknowledge the loss of King Regis as the head of the state as well as a human being, and that it would send a strong signal to Niflheim, showing them that despite their loss, they were still united in their faith and loyalty to the crown. At the same time though, he met with the military leaders, and with Ignis lead, they came up with a plan to get the situation on the other continent back in order.

Naturally, they continued to see Niflheim as a threat. Officially, they seemed to be content with the annexation of Tenebrae, but there were a lot of rumors coming from the home of the Oracle that this was just the beginning. Right after Regis' death, reports had been coming in from Galahd that airplanes were flying in from the other side of the ocean. However, the Kingsglaive had been prepared and managed to prevent a first strike from Niflheim before it could reach the Crown City. It left the lands of Galahd wounded, but at least intact.

Still, even Prompto was aware that they needed to do something quick. As much as he hated to face the facts, it seemed as if another war was imminent and that Niflheim was hungry to expand its territory. They needed to be stopped, the quicker the better.

Soon, strategic meetings in the war room took up most of Noctis' time, leaving him with a perpetual frown and a sour expression. Prompto had to pull out all the stops to prevent that it became his permanent expression, but it was hard. Only seldom he managed to make him smile, but it was quite exhausting to see his boyfriend like this and not being able to do anything about it.

He could see that Noctis was trying though. He tried to smile every time Prompto said something overly funny, tried to smile at him for the things that he usually smiled at him. But Prompto could also see that he was forcing himself, that none of his smiles came as easily as they used to. Even before, when his father had just been sick, Noctis never looked as stressed as he was now, and it was painful to see how he was throwing himself into work to numb the pain of the loss of his father.

A few times Prompto managed to get Noctis to cry his heart out until he fell asleep. Before he passed out due to exhaustion, he would sob and babble how scared he was about taking the crown, about all the responsibility that came with it. 

"I don't want to... To _start_ a war," he sniffled during a moment that his tears had ebbed off mostly. "But, but I think it's the only way. And as king, I have to do everything to protect my people, right?"

"It's scary, war," Prompto replied between kissed to the top of his boyfriend's head. "I wouldn't want one either, but it seems like it is the only way. And if you're doing it to protect your people, it _is_ the most noble reason to start a war. You're not doing this for your personal gain, you want to do this to protect and I think the people will understand that. They understood so much about you already, so I'm sure that they will continue to support you through this."

"How can you say these things so easily when I'm already scared to voice my thoughts out aloud?" Noctis sobbed while new tears welled up in his eyes.

"I love you and I know that your people love you, too," Prompto smiled and kissed the top of his head again, chuckling to himself as Noctis' crying just became harder. He didn't know what he was doing, but when Noctis held onto him during those tears, it didn't feel like he was doing anything wrong.

~*~

During the month of national mourning, countless TV shows reminiscing the King's life and everything that he had done for his people came up on TV. Prompto watched all of them with great interest, eager to learn more about the history of his boyfriend's family. Noctis on the other had, always told him to turn those shows off, because he couldn't bear seeing those recordings of his late father.

Still, Prompto kept watching them in secret.Through those documentaries, he saw a few recordings of Noctis' mother, Queen Aulea. There were only a few photographs and paintings of the Queen at the Citadel, not enough for Prompto to learn much about her.

With those recordings, he got a completely different view on her and he couldn't deny that it was her Noctis got his stunning looks from. They shared the same kind of eyes, gentle, yet determined. Even on those old recordings, Prompto could see how much Regis had adored her and it didn't seem as if anything about that had changed until his death. 

However, it was also obvious how much her death had thrown him off his own path. Her death had broken him, much like Regis' death had changed Noctis. Prompto hoped that he could become the pillar that Noctis needed to find strength in for himself, but he didn't know if Regis had had someone like that.

Of course, Regis had still tried to be a good father for Noctis, but it was obvious that he had been struggling. Prompto wondered if the old King had been anything like his son before his wife's death, headstrong and a little reckless, too, never shy to tell a dumb joke or voice his thoughts around his friends. Prompto had only known him as a strategist who always thought about others first, a careful person who had always been at least two steps ahead of his enemies.

Except for his last days, obviously.

Prompto just hoped that Noctis wouldn't follow his steps all the way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHEW. That was a big one.
> 
> I know a lot happened here, and I know that I probably only brushed over a lot of the heavy stuff, too. But this chapter was really hard to write and I rewrote most of this yesterday (which put us both under a lot of stress of posting this today), so I hope it's still okay.


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis has some news for Prompto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: I'm sorry it took me 3 weeks to finish this chapter. I have no idea what happened, but somehow the words didn't want to come.
> 
> Second: Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of this story! It has become really epic (I don't think I've ever written this many words all on my own in one year for one single story!) and I want to thank everyone who has read up to this point. I hope you'll stay with us for the rest of the way!

Prompto knew something was up when Noctis didn't say much after returning from his duties. They had dinner together, but even though the plates were filled with the finest garula stew, Noctis only managed to eat a few spoons of it.

Well, it wasn't like he had been eating a lot in the past four weeks. Ever since his father had died, Noctis didn't have much of an appetite. Prompto couldn't blame him, because everyone had their own way to mourn, and being unable to eat was a common one. However, when Noctis still wouldn't eat right after one and a half weeks, Prompto started to become worried. Not even Ignis' best foods could get him to eat more than just a bite or two, so Prompto started to feed him the greasiest, most energy-dense foods that he could find.

Hence the garula stew. It was one Prompto's favorites, too, so he didn't mind. 

During dinner, he talked to Noctis about his day, making enough pauses for him to add something that was on his mind as well. Usually it worked, giving Noctis the freedom to speak when he felt like it and to keep silent when he was lost in his own mind. Prompto would eventually find something that he could relate to and they would end up talking about something, even if it didn't have anything to do with what Noctis had on his mind. But it got him out of his shell for a while and that was good enough for Prompto.

But today was different. Nothing that he said could get more than three words out of Noctis. It was frustrating and first and foremost worrying. As a last resort, Prompto asked Noctis if he wanted to watch one of their favorite movies.

So they ended up on the couch, watching an animated movie about love and finding your own freedom while munching on some chips. They didn't share a lot of words then either, but Noctis rested his head against Prompto's shoulder and intertwined their fingers to run his thumb over the blond's knuckles.

Once the movie was over and Prompto had turned off the giant TV set, he expected that they would go straight to bed, just like they had done all the nights before. But Noctis surprised him by stopping him right in front of the door towards the adjacent bathroom. He took his hand and nervously played with the digits while he stared down at them.

"Noct...?" Prompto breathed, afraid to break the heavy silence.

Noctis took a deep breath, as if he was steeling himself and then he nudged Prompto with his nose to tilt his head so that they could kiss. It was slow and tentative at first, as if Noctis was both afraid and weary, and it almost broke Prompto's heart. He raised his hand to Noctis' neck and returned the kiss, steadying the timid movements of his boyfriend. He didn't want him to be afraid - not with him - in anything that he did.

Noctis seemed to relax after a moment, then he sighed into the kiss and let go of Prompto's hand to wrap his arms around his neck and pull him in to deepen the kiss, letting his tongue lap over Prompto's lips. Opening his mouth easily so that their tongues could dance together, Prompto also followed Noctis' little nudges and moved sideways, slowly, until they both bumped into the bed with their legs.

Breathless, Noctis broke the kiss and looked up at Prompto pleadingly. "...Can... can we?"

"Sure?" Prompto replied, his voice steady and deep as he pushed forward to resume the kiss, ready to please his boyfriend, one leg pressing against Noctis' bulge urgently.

Noctis gasped, his knees gave in a little and he rubbed back against Prompto's thigh before he pulled back again. "No... I mean, _yes_ , but... Can _I_?"

Prompto stopped moving for a moment and just stared at Noctis in surprise, wondering if he had heard this right. Noctis looked nervous enough, much like he had after their first kisses, but also determined. He wanted this, that much was clear, because he would never ask Prompto to do anything that he didn't want. Still, with everything that had been going on in the past weeks, sex was the last thing that they had been able to think about, even when he was topping. To say that Prompto wasn't excited at the prospect of being finally on the receiving end with his boyfriend was probably an understatement, but there were so many things that he needed to confirm before he could relax enough for what Noctis wanted.

"You want to?" he asked, and Noctis nodded. "You're not afraid?"

"I... Okay, it would be a lie to say that I wasn't," Noctis sighed. "But I want to do this... _now_ , and I think that with you I... I feel confident enough that I won't fuck it up this time." He smiled sheepishly and Prompto couldn't help but chuckle.

"True, whatever happens, I know we'll find a way to make it good," he replied and nudged Noctis into another kiss. His boyfriend melted against him, just like he usually did, before he remembered what he wanted to do.

He shot Prompto a playful glare before he turned them around and pushed Prompto onto the bed, following after him a moment later, getting comfortable between his legs. Even as Prompto was still trying to get comfortable on the bed, Noctis attacked him with kisses to his lips and down his neck. When he started nibbling on the juncture of his shoulder though, Prompto just gave up the idea of lying down normally on the bed and surrendered himself fully. He wasn't sure if Noctis knew exactly what he was doing, but even if he fumbled himself through this, Prompto knew that he would feel good eventually. It had happened before; just the slightest of touches had aroused him more than anything else he had been able to think of. And now, that he wanted to take the reigns after all, was probably the biggest turn-on for Prompto ever since he had first watched Noctis cum from his hands.

It wasn't new that Noctis attacked his boyfriend with kisses, but usually he would ask him to turn things back around at some point. This time however, he kept placing a line of kisses on his neck and shoulder while he fumbled with the blond's shirt. He pushed it up until he reached his nipples and indulged himself with teasing one until it was hard and sensitive, leaving Prompto a gasping, shivering mess.

And then Noctis turned to the other nipple, kissing and licking the pink nub until Prompto thought he had lost all sensation in it from overstimulation. When Noctis finally pulled away to take off their shirts, Prompto realized that he was already so hard he was leaking enough precum to soak his pants.

His boyfriend must have noticed as well, because he couldn't stop staring at the wet spot at the front of his pants for a moment, nostrils flaring uncontrollably. He looked down with so much hunger in his eyes that Prompto couldn't believe that this was the same person who had told him he didn't ever want to have sex. With Prompto's legs spread on either side of his hips as he was kneeling between them, he looked nothing like the awkward young man from back then. Quite the opposite, he came across more like a predator, ready to eat up his boyfriend and Prompto couldn't help but gasp in surprise, covering his face with his hands in embarrassment.

Noctis blinked, suddenly taken out of his reverie, and started moving again. He fumbled with the fly of Prompto's pants, almost tore it open and then tugged his pants and underwear off to throw it somewhere next to the bed, looking damned pleased with himself once he had managed to get his boyfriend naked. Hungrily, he let his gaze wander over Prompto's body, naked as he was, safe for the leather bands around his wrist. 

Exposed like this, Prompto realized that he had nothing left to hide from his boyfriend. Not with the way that Noctis gazed down at him.

There was still hunger in his eyes, but it also seemed like he was searching for something as he let his eyes wander over Prompto's body. On the other hand, Prompto also felt as if he was trying to commit every inch of his body to his memory, saving the sight for later. It was the same kind of look when he was gazing at MRCRY's paintings, carefully studying every spot, everything that made the painting unique. Noctis seemed to study every single imperfection closely, everything that made Prompto self-conscious of his own body - little scars from when he was younger, almost invisible stretch marks that he had gotten once he was able to afford more food, that spot on his hips that Prompto hated because he couldn't get rid of the love handles there. And he smiled at each and every one of them, placed kisses wherever he could reach, _especially_ on the little love handles on top of his Adonis belt that he followed all the way down until he reached Prompto's' manhood.

By then, Prompto was gasping so hard for breath that he was afraid he was already hyperventilating. But his eyes were glued to the mop of Noctis' hair, black and in sharp contrast to his pale skin, as it moved down. There was a moment where their eyes met, when Noctis asked silently for permission to go on. Prompto granted it willingly, quickly, with a simple nod and not one moment later he could feel the warmth and wetness of Noctis' tongue on him.

"Noct!" he moaned, his hands flying into the black hair, resting there, putting no pressure onto it. He didn't dare to because he didn't want to force Noctis to do something that he wasn't able to or didn't feel comfortable doing. Just like before, Noctis only took the tip into his mouth, wrapped his lips around the head and then let his tongue do most of the work. As he lapped along the rim and over the sensitive head, he made little sounds of his own that went straight to Prompto's groin. He could feel himself twitch in Noctis' mouth until the other pulled off. Noctis looked at him with a soft, fond smile, the constant crease of worry gone for the time being. 

Prompto held his breath, moved by a sight he hadn't realized he had missed, and just as his heart made a leap, Noctis whispered, "I love you." 

He whimpered as his boyfriend leaned forward to kiss him and lifted his arms to put them around the other's shoulders again. He hooked his legs with Noctis', not wanting to let go of him. They kissed and Prompto bucked up his hips, creating more friction between them in anticipation for more.

"I love you, too," he breathed when Noctis pulled away, just as breathless.

Even though he was still smiling softly at him, Prompto could sense that there was more. However, he still didn't know what it was and to be honest, he started to suspect that he didn't want to know the reason at all.

"Lube?" he suggested instead, because he really wanted this to continue.

"Already one step ahead of you," Noctis grinned, holding up the tube which had most likely been inside of his pants' pockets. Sitting back, Noctis squeezed some onto his fingers, making sure they were coated as much as possible before he let them wander down beneath the blond's balls. There, they probed around a little until they found Prompto's opening, gently pushing forward to get past that initial resistance.

It was then that Prompto realized something.

"Wait!" he gasped, suddenly self-conscious. "I didn't... I mean... I'm not... I didn't clean..."

Noctis froze and faltered a little, before he snorted softly. "I don't mind," he said, taking a deep breath. "But if it calms your nerves... I have a towel here... and some wet wipes, too. Ever since... you know. That one time."

'That one time' referred to that one time when they had thought it was a good idea to have sex _after_ a rigorous self-defense training session with Gladio. They both had been on a high of adrenaline when they started making out, that it was too late to do something when their muscles gave out. Prompto had fucked Noctis face down into the mattress and once they were finished, they realized that moving wasn't really and option anymore, so they decided to stay in bed. However, that had meant they had to improvise when they needed to clean up and thus, Prompto's favorite pair of boxers almost became history, if not for the Citadel staff's incredible cleaning abilities. The blond still had to blush at the memory of the whole thing.

"O-okay," Prompto nodded and forced himself to relax again, taking a deep breath just before Noctis pushed one finger inside. It was a little weird, but not as weird as Prompto had thought it would be. In fact, since he knew what the purpose of all this was because he had done it a few times himself by now, he tried his best to help Noctis along the way.

He breathed to relax his body, lifted his ass a little for better access and when there wasn't much more that he could do, he lifted his gaze to watch his boyfriend.

Noctis looked deep in concentration, but not stressed or nervous, nothing like he had when they had first attempted these kinds of things and Prompto had to coax everything out of Noctis. So, after all of this, they had come a very long way and Prompto was quite surprised just how far they had come. At the beginning of... _this_ , he would have never thought that Noctis would want to finger him open with as much interest as he was displaying right now.

But then Noctis crooked his fingers against Prompto's prostate and every coherent thought left the blond's mind at once.

"Fuck!" he cried out, throwing his head back into the pillows.

Despite everything that he had done, that he had seen Noctis do, Prompto was absolutely not prepared for how it would make him feel. He felt like someone had dumped a bucket full of ice on him, just to be followed by the feeling of chocolate melting in the pit of his stomach, warming him up from the inside as well as wrapping him up in a feeling of slowly escalating ecstasy. He gasped for air as he clung to the sheets, wondering how it would feel once Noctis was finally inside of him, if he felt as great as he felt already.

"It's good, huh?" Noctis grinned with the confidence of a man who had been through this a few times before. Prompto could only nod in wonder, just to moan when Noctis moved his fingers again.

"Yeah, it's... something else, but good. Don't stop," he breathed, moving his hips to test out how it felt when he moved himself. Whenever Noctis had done it, it was the hottest thing ever and from the way he was huffing now with his nostrils flared, Noctis obviously felt the same because he stopped moving his fingers just to stare for a moment.

Breathing a little curse, Noctis pulled out his fingers then to put more lube on them, plunging three back into Prompto's ass, who cried out at the sudden mixture of pleasure and discomfort.

"Ah! Sorry. Did that hurt?" Noctis asked, stilling his fingers immediately. "Thought you were ready for more."

Prompto shook his head. "No... You just... You just surprised me," he breathed, his whole body relaxing as it got used to the bigger intrusion. "I'm fine... go on, please. I can't wait to feel you inside." The blond smiled and raised a hand to pet his lover's cheek. Noctis nuzzled into it before he took a deep breath and continued where he left off. Methodically he worked on getting Prompto to open up for him until they both felt comfortable moving on. In fact, it was Prompto who became impatient first and pushed back down onto the three fingers inside of him.

"Come on... I don't think I will ever be more ready," he spurred the other on, moving his hips a little bit like he would if their roles were reversed.

"Are you sure?" Noctis asked, sounding more like his old, insecure self. "I don't want to... to hurt you or anything."

"I don't think that will happen," Prompto breathed a chuckle, hoping that it would take his insecurities away. "I know it feels different than it looks, but I'm sure... I'm sure I can handle a little pain. If there's any. I'm sure it will be amazing and I _really_ want to feel you now."

Noctis looked at him doubtfully for a moment, worried his lip, but then he pulled out his fingers, just to get the tube of again. "I love you," he mouthed as he poured more lube on his hand, just to freeze all of a sudden. Prompto's own smile faltered when all color seemed to drain from his boyfriend's face.

"Shit," Noctis cursed under his breath.

"What's wrong?" Prompto asked, feeling panic bubble up in the pit of his stomach. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No... No. I forgot the condom..." Noctis groaned and slumbed visibly.

Prompto blinked, surprised, and then took a deep breath which he exhaled in a sigh. "Just... that? I mean, Iggy insisted that I ran all kinds of tests before I sat down at your father's hospital bed, I'm clean and I'm sure you're even cleaner. And I... I'm a guy. I haven't seen a pregnant guy since _Junior_ and that game trailer, um, so I don't think that there's a problem with that."

Noctis looked up and just stared disbelievingly at Prompto and the blond wasn't sure whether he was exaggerating that look or if he really didn't believe him at all.

It was super awkward, so Prompto started babbling, "It's... a joke? I-I mean, I can understand if you don't want to put your dick... _there_ , um, _naked_ , but-"

He didn't get any farther though, because Noctis crashed their lips back together and kissed him hard. Overwhelmed as he was, Prompto could only react on instinct, and his instincts told him to hug Noctis close and return the kiss just as fervently, until they were both breathless.

"I wouldn't mind if you got pregnant with our child," Noctis rasped, his voice raw from the kiss and emotions.

It was probably something stupid, something that Noctis shouldn't be saying, but it went straight to the pit of Prompto's stomach, rousing the myriads of butterflies that Prompto had almost forgotten. Warmth spread through his whole body as he realized the meaning and the weight of those words and he was sure that he was blushing all over.

"H-hey, why do _I_ have to be the mother?" Prompto started a weak protest, looking up at Noctis as he returned to his position between the blond's legs.

"I wouldn't mind... carrying your child either," Noctis replied with a quick shrug and a small smirk. Before Prompto could start up another protest though, he had aligned the tip of his dick with Prompto's opening and pushed his way inside, slowly, but steadily.

Prompto threw his head back with a gasp, clinging onto Noctis' upper arms as he felt like being split apart. Just... very gently and in a very pleasurable way.

Noctis' dick inside of him was hot and slippery - thanks to all the lube - which made it easy for him to move all the way inside. Prompto had lost all sense of time, because it was both too fast and not fast enough. He didn't know what to feel and how to feel, but he couldn't stop the giant bubble of happiness and accomplishment in his stomach that made him dig his fingers deeper into Noctis' skin, pulling him in until there was no space left between them anymore.

He blinked his eyes unseeingly a few times until he was able to focus on Noctis' worried face. His long hair was falling into his face, his stubble looked more like a beard than just a stubble anymore, but what made his heart skip another few beats was the look of concern in his lover's fathomless blue eyes.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Noctis asked, every muscle in his body looking taut, as if he was just waiting for Prompto say anything and he would pull away.

Still, Prompto's befuddled brain needed a moment to process the meaning of his words, drowned out by the loud static in his brain that came from being so vulnerable and open at the same time. When they did register though, Prompto shook his head, not yet fully trusting his voice. Only a few breaths later he felt confident enough to ask, "Does it feel like this for you all the time?"

Noctis blinked, because of course he couldn't understand what Prompto was asking of him. Thus, he only asked in reply, "...Good?"

Baffled for a moment, Prompto still needed a little longer to piece everything together and when he did, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, good. Overwhelming, intimidating, but oh so very good," he replied, running the fingers of one hand through Noctis' hair to push it back behind his ear. "I'm sure it would even better if you started to move."

"From my experience, that's the case, yes," Noctis gave back with a soft snort. He breathed another sigh and shook his head in mild amusement, looking down at Prompto again a moment later. "No, really... are you okay? Can I move?"

"I'm... Okay. A little overwhelmed, but fine, yes. Please move, okay? I'm sure that it will be even more amazing," Prompto said and tried moving his hips on his own for a bit.

Which turned out to be somewhat of a mistake because the sudden intense feeling from the initial penetration was back and he just so managed to stop himself from gasping out too loudly because he bit his lip instinctively. Luckily, Noctis took that as his clue to continue what Prompto had started and pulled out a little, just to push back inside with shuddering limbs.

This time, Prompto couldn't stop the moan from falling from his lips and he didn't stop either when Noctis set up a tentative rhythm. It was slow and careful, no matter how much Prompto tried to spur him on. He held onto his neck, his fingernails digging into Noctis' back, but neither of them seemed to notice. Instead, Noctis would only lean down further, until their noses were almost touching. He kept moving his hips, hitting just the right spots inside of Prompto more by chance than with aim, but neither of them minded.

"Prom, Prom, I love you so much," Noctis gasped when his thrusts became harder and a little more erratic. "I'm close... but I don't want to... before you..."

"I'm close, too, holy fuck, you have no idea!" Prompto cried and moaned when Noctis' next thrust hit him just right again. "Just a little bit more."

With that, Noctis shifted just a little bit, managing to get a hand between them that he wrapped around Prompto's erection. With the added stimulation it was only a matter of a few moments for Prompto, who cried out and bucked his hips into the tunnel of Noctis' hand, just to gasp when Noctis thrust into him again. He came hard all over Noctis hand and his stomach, crying out Noctis' name as the wave of his orgasm washed over him.

"Fuck, _Prom_!" Noctis gasped and squeezed his eyes shut. A few shallow thrusts later he followed him over the edge with a low groan, something warm spreading into Prompto's stomach.

It took them both a few moments to calm down again and realize what had happened. They lay in each others' arms, laughing off their exhaustion. Neither of them felt ready to move, but Prompto felt closer to Noctis than he had ever before. He closed his eyes and ran his hands over his boyfriend's back, feeling the muscles move and twitch with every laugh and breath.

"I love you," Noctis whispered again, making Prompto open his eyes to look up at him. 

Smiling, he replied, "I love you, too."

"Do... do you want me to get out?" Noctis asked a few moments later, just after Prompto had gotten comfortable with Noctis on top of him. However, when Noctis shifted a little, he realized that he was starting to get uncomfortable.

"Um... yeah. And get me some of those wet wipes! I don't want to... drip all over the sheets," he said with a sheepish smile.

"Okay," Noctis nodded before he pushed himself up and backed away slowly, pulling out inch by inch until the tip flopped out at last. Prompto bit back a gasp and quickly held his hand in front of his asshole. He knew it was still lax and open, had seen it every time he and Noctis had sex, but to _feel_ it was still different. As if he couldn't control his body anymore and there was a moment of panic that it would stay like this. But when Noctis put a towel under his ass and wiped the sweat, lube and cum off his body, that wave disappeared as quickly as it had come.

"You okay?" Noctis asked as he carefully folded the wet wipes to put them in the bin. Prompto nodded and smiled, making space so that Noctis could lie down with him and rest his head on his shoulder, just like they always did. 

"Thank you," Noctis said once he had settled down on his boyfriend's shoulder and pulled the blankets over them. His arm came to rest on his chest and Prompto reached out to turn off the lights.

"You're welcome... and thank _you_. That was a great first time for me," Prompto chuckled and placed a kiss on his boyfriend's forehead. Noctis blew an amused chuckle himself before he fell silent and Prompto remembered that he had been brooding over something before they had gone to bed.

"Hey... I can sense your mind is somewhere else... What's up?" he prodded gently, nudging Noctis' forehead with his nose. 

He could hear how the other took a very deep breath to steady himself, then he looked up at Prompto in the dark and said. "Do you remember the plan for investigation in Niflheim?"

Prompto nodded, a small frown forming on his face.

"About the troops that will go into the country via Tenebrae? And the small investigation team that will come in from the other side?"

Prompto nodded again, but his frown deepened. "Did the schedule change? I thought we were still months away from the troops being able to move out?"

"Well, thanks to some lucky investment from... Camelia, I mean, Accordo, we were able to push the date for the troops forward to two weeks from now. But that means..."

"Don't tell me the investigation team already left? Luna said that Nyx is supposed to leave for Galahd soon, but... I didn't think it would be any time soon-"

"Tomorrow. We're leaving tomorrow," Noctis breathed, interrupting Prompto's train of thought.

The blond stared down at his boyfriend in pure disbelief, his mouth hanging open although he was sure that Noctis saw as much of that as he saw of him, and that was just a twinkle in the dark where his eyes should be.

"... _We?!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Banira: the cliffhanger of doom™ AND the awkward (first time) sex is back
> 
> As I said, tomorrow marks the one year anniversary! It's been a long ride and I can promise you, this is not the end. There are still a few things I need to tell you in this story!
> 
> Regarding the next updates though: Since I've struggled so much with the last few chapters, I'm not sure if I can uphold my weekly posting schedule. Also, with the holidays coming up and us going on vacation again, I'm not sure how much writing time I will get, but I promise to do my best. We will try to get the updates out biweekly from now on. :) Thank you!


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time we left off at a big cliffhanger. Noctis had just revealed that he would leave along with a special investigation team. How do you think Prompto will react to that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> We hope the last two weeks weren't too long for you. We're on vacation, but managed to get the chapter ready just in time for Christmas! So, even if you're not celebrating it, we hope that you enjoy these last days of the year.
> 
> Here is the last chapter for this year, please enjoy!

"... _We?!_ Does that mean _you_ are going with them?!!" Prompto demanded, feeling a myriad of emotions bubble up in him. One of the bigger ones was anger and he had a hard time not just getting up and yelling at his boyfriend for keeping such an important thing secret from him until _after_ they had sex.

He sat up and turned the lights back on, just so that Noctis could see how upset he was and so that Prompto could see whether or not his boyfriend was sorry for what he had done. Or what he was about to do, he didn't really know himself.

"...Yes. That's what it means," Noctis said bashfully as he sat up as well, the blankets pooling around his hips. "I will be leaving with the investigation team to Galahd first thing in the morning. At around... um, 0600, that's-"

"6 o'clock in the morning, _I know_ ," Prompto replied icily,. "Will you even manage to be up that early?"

Noctis' brows twitched into a tiny frown before they smoothed out again and Prompto knew that he had understood that little jab. He felt sorry for such a low blow, but he was hurt and he needed Noctis to understand that. "I have managed before... and it's not like I need to be fully awake when we leave, it'll be enough if I'm awake when we arrive in-"

"Galahd, right? That'll be the first place for you to investigate, or so I've heard from... from Luna," Prompto interrupted him with a growl. He looked to the side, because he knew that this kind of information was usually classified and he wasn't really supposed to know it. However, given that he and Luna were pretty much in the same kind of situation, they had found solace in talking about their worries and concerns with each other. 

"Yes... It was the last place that Niflheim attacked and half of the Kingsglaive is from that place. We thought it's a good place to start," Noctis replied and ran a hand through his hair.

"But why do _you_ have to go? You're _king_ , shouldn't you stay here to make sure that everything goes right?" Prompto begged, scooting a little closer. "You're the most important person in this land right now, you should be kept safe from all dangers!"

"I know, but... I need to go. I have so many questions and there are so many things I need to see with my own eyes. As much as I would like to stay here with... with _you_ , I just... I can't," Noctis sighed, slumping visibly. "I wanted... I wanted to ask you what you think about it before we leave, but now... I can't. We have to leave and I just wanted to... spend one more night with you. One happy night. Just... the two of us."

Prompto looked at his boyfriend and saw so much of the king in him that he could say nothing more to hold him back. He slumped and closed his eyes, feeling how they grew hot with angry tears, before he covered them with his hands.

"Prompto..." 

Noctis voice was soft, almost breaking, too, and that was the last bit that ended it for Prompto. The tears that he had been trying to hold back broke free and he started sobbing until he was ugly crying, furiously trying to wipe the tears away, but to no avail. It was only when he felt Noctis put and arm around him that he gave up and he just leaned against his shoulder and cried freely.

Soon, both of Noctis' arms came up around him and Prompto was pulled into a tight embrace. He was too upset to notice that the other's arms were shaking, too, with tears that were falling on the top of his head.

When he was able to form words around the lump in his throat again, Prompto whispered, "I'm afraid... What if something happens to you? What... what will happen to... to Lucis? To everyone?"

"We made plans for that," Noctis replied softly, raining kisses all over Prompto's forehead and hair. "Luna... will be there to lead the people. But... she will need you, too. As a friend. I know the two of you have grown close... and I envy how easily you can do this, connect to new people, grow close to them, make them grow fond of you. It's something I've never been able to do."

"That's not true, everyone loves you," Prompto sobbed as his arms tightened around Noctis' torso. "That's why they need you. You shouldn't be going."

Noctis chuckled softly and ran a thumb over Prompto's tear-stained cheeks. "They said the same thing, Ignis, Gladio, Nyx, even Cor and Clarus. But I _have_ to. I owe that to my father." Carefully, he coaxed Prompto's right arm from around him and pushed the leather bands aside so that he could run his thumb over the dark black lines. "And you, of all people."

"...I could tell Nyx about this. Or Gladio and Ignis," Prompto tried again. "I'm sure they can easily find out what this is about. Why I have the same markings as... as that guy."

"You could. But it wouldn't be the same. You've told me so much about yourself, about everything and it seems like the missing piece is in Niflheim... So that's where I'm going," Noctis replied, lifting the blond's wrist to his lips, kissing it gently.

Prompto watched him quietly, shivering only a little when gentle lips met his skin. "Then I will be coming with you. I've been by your side for so long, this will be just an easy thing to do, too."

"If we had a little more time to train you, then I might allow it, but... you just have some basic training. That's nothing compared to what I've been trained to do ever since I was a little boy. Ignis and Gladio, too and Nyx, Crowe and Libertus are _Kingsglaive_ , they have the most combat knowledge from all of us. They will have their hands full with the three of us already, but if we all had to keep an eye out on you... And I don't want to put you in danger. You and Luna, the two of you will be what Lucis can look up to now. I trust you two to act in the same way that I would do."

"I understand why Luna has to stay, I wouldn't want to endanger the unborn child either... But I can do this! I know how to shoot and I-"

"Prompto, no," Noctis begged, sounding more desperate than Prompto had thought he would. He had seemed so calm and collected before, so this came as a surprise and made him hold back any protest. "Please... I don't want to worry about you there. I need my mind to be clear so that we can go fast, we plan to be in the heart of Niflheim by the time the rest of the troops start moving. With just a little luck we can resolve this quickly and without too many casualties. Besides, who can we trust better to take care of Luna while we're out there? She's due soon and Nyx hopes that we will be back before the baby is born."

Prompto bit his lip. He wasn't afraid of war, he was sure that he had been through worse. But Noctis was right. If he went with them, they would all try to protect him, when it was their job to just protect the King. It wasn't like he wanted them to, but it was obvious that Noct would do without hesitation and he was sure that the others would feel responsible for him as well.

There was no way he could win this. Besides, he didn't really want to go in the first place, just as much as he didn't want Noctis to go either. But his boyfriend, the King, had made his decision and obviously he had been through this discussion a few times in his head and had given him all the knockout arguments. He was rarely prepared like this, so Prompto knew that there was no way that he could turn this around anymore.

"I hate you," Prompto pressed out between gritted teeth, unable to stop his tears from welling up again.

"Prom..." Panic was imminent in Noctis' voice.

"No," Prompto stopped. "I hate that you have this already planned out and that there's _nothing_ I can do to stop you. I hate that you didn't even think about talking about this with me before!"

Noctis bit his lip and looked miserable enough for Prompto to actually feel pity for him.

"I could have trained harder, I would have done _everything_ to be by your side, but you didn't even ask!" Prompto was sure that Noctis had had his reasons for opening up about this only now, but it still hurt that no one had asked him.

"I tried," Noctis gave back meekly, sounding as if he was on the verge of crying himself. "I asked Ignis to let you know, to have you come with us, but he made me think what would happen then. And... I can't do this to you. And this isn't something that's just about the two of us, I can't endanger six people just because you are there. I want to know that you are here. I want you here to take care of Luna, of the people, of everything while I'm gone. This is where you belong, safe and sound."

"I still hate it," Prompto huffed and shook his head. "And that's what I'm going to remember whenever it's about my first time bottoming, it will leave a bitter taste and I _hate_ it."

He never used such strong language around Noctis. He didn't even like using the word 'hate' because he felt like everyone deserved to be viewed as neutral as possible, but this really took things to his melting point. He was upset and he was angry and there was absolutely nothing that he could do, which frustrated him even more. And there was no one he could blame, so Noctis had to take the brunt of it.

"I understand," Noctis sighed. "I hate this, too, but I'll make it up to you when I return, okay? Until then... I want you to have this."

He disentangled himself from Prompto's hold enough to lean over to the bedside table so that he could get a little velvet box out of a drawer. Prompto took that moment to sit up straight again and wipe the last tears from his eyes, although he was pretty sure that he would start crying soon again.

"This... belonged to my mother," Noctis started, carefully opening the box to reveal a black ring with golden vines ranking around it, a dark blue stone placed on top of it. It looked like the night sky, Prompto could even see stars in it despite the bad lighting.

"Noct," he gasped as his boyfriend took the ring out of the box. It looked even more delicate and beautiful than in the box and Prompto didn't want to know how old it was or how much it was worth.

"My dad... He said that I should give it to the woman I want to marry... But I'm sure that he would have wanted me to give you this," Noctis added and took Prompto's hand in this with the palm facing upwards. Then he put the ring into his palm and closed his hand. "Keep it until I come back."

"Noct, I can't... I can't accept this," Prompto protested, peeking through his fingers at the ring. This close, he could see that the blue wasn't perfect, but that there was some purple in it and it looked almost like someone had indeed trapped the night sky in it. He closed his hand again and pushed it back at Noctis.

"I want you to keep it though. Until I return," his boyfriend insisted though, pushing his hand back with a gentle smile. "And I will know I have to return in one piece just to... Well. That's something to be discussed then."

Prompto's eyes widened, only now connecting the dots. "That... your father proposed to your mother with that ring. It's... a family tradition?!"

Noctis nodded bashfully, and Prompto could see a dusting of a blush on his cheeks. His earlier anger hadn't dissipated, but it was pushed aside for a new wave of butterflies in the pit of his stomach that made him feel a little light-headed.

"I-It's not a proposal though!" Noctis sputtered after he had obviously managed to put two and two together. "Not... not yet. I just... I just want you to have it, s-so I know it's safe... If I need it later... Ugh."

"Okay," Prompto replied before Noctis was able to say something that he was going to regret even more. "I'll keep it safe." He took the velvet box from Noctis' hands as well and put the ring back, placing it on his night stand. 

"But, since you're leaving me early morning on my own, I'm not going to let you sleep until then," the blond purred and moved over to straddle the other. "I have some catching up to do."

Noctis swallowed visibly while he looked exactly like an Anak caught in headlights, but he nodded in acceptance of his punishment.

It was 4:45 in the morning when Noctis peeled himself out of bed, reluctant to leave the warmth of the blankets and Prompto. The blond had passed out after a few more rounds of sex, exhausting himself. Noctis wasn't too far behind, but he was unable to fall asleep for a while. Instead of getting some much needed sleep, he had busied himself with watching Prompto sleep, had counted the freckles on his nose - he had to stop after 473, because he was mixing up the numbers and was suddenly at 447 again - but most of all, he tried to burn the image of Prompto sleeping right beside him into his mind.

Of course he knew that it was silly, but he didn't want to waste time sleeping when he could be looking at the sweet face of his boyfriend instead. He could see where his lips were still swollen, traces of the tears that he had cried earlier and, as he looked closer, even specks of paint. Mostly it was stuck in his hair, behind his ears, where he probably couldn't see it so well. Besides, it was a color that was close to Prompto's hair color - a sandy yellow - so it was easy to miss.

Noctis smiled one last time at the sleeping form of the love of his life before he let the door click shut gently, and then turned to join Ignis and Gladio outside of his bedroom.

"Good morning, your majesty," Ignis greeted him as he handed him a cup of coffee. "How did he take the news?"

"Better than I expected... It was hard though. He almost made me take him with us. It's only because we ran over the pros and cons so many times that I managed to not give in," Noctis sighed, gratefully sipping on the liquid tar. 

Thankfully he managed to keep his expression in check at the taste of what Ignis preferred as coffee, but his stomach didn't like it at all. Fingers tightening around the cup he kept walking, getting downstairs to where Nyx, Libertus and Crowe were waiting for them with the car.

"Did you propose?" Gladio asked, the smirk in his voice obvious although he was half a step behind the young king.

"...I managed not to. I gave him the ring though," Noctis replied, feeling his cheeks color.

"Let me guess. Shorty put two and two together anyway," Gladio said, the damn smirk still in his voice.

"...How could he not, he's not, like, stupid, you know?" Noctis grumbled as they entered the elevator that went down to the parking lot where his Kingsglaive were already waiting for them. "He took it well though."

Noctis bit his lip again, because there were a few dirty words on the tip of his tongue and while he knew that it was perfectly fine to talk to Gladio and the others like this, he still hesitated to talk _about Prompto_ like that.

He climbed into the bus they would use to drive to Galahd, taking a seat in the middle row next to Gladio, Libertus and Nyx behind them while Ignis was driving and Crowe was sitting the passenger seat. It was pretty much like the bus they used while they were on tour with Monsters of the Deep and frankly, it felt just like another tour right then. Just that they had weapons in the back of it instead of instruments.

They got on the Freeway for the East Gate just moments before the sun rose. Thankfully the drive was a short one and they could enjoy the sunrise over the rocky terrain that was Galahd. Noctis couldn't help but think that Prompto would have loved it and he felt bad for lying to him that they would be leaving an hour later. But they wanted to go against the sun, because while it put them at disadvantage, they were sure that no one expected them to be _this_ stupid. Which was exactly why they were doing it. Also, Ignis had special glasses that filtered out most of the flare and the intense light.

When Gladio handed Ignis a can of Ebony and Noctis felt the lack of sleep tugging at his nerves, he suddenly remembered in great vivid detail what had happened the previous night after he had given Prompto the ring of his mother. His mind wouldn’t stop going back to Prompto sitting in his lap, moving his hips and just how amazing it felt. And how it was the exact same thing that had happened when he had lost his virginity, yet it was completely different now.

"Guys... I have a question. It's... a pretty personal one, but I trust you with more than just my life. If you promise not to laugh," he piped up, brows pulled tightly into a frown.

"What is it, princess? Did you discover you like it when Prompto sucks on your toes or what?" Gladio snorted and bumped their shoulders together.

"Wh- No. No, not that," Noctis replied and shook his head in annoyance. "No, it's just... Last night. After I told Prompto... Well, we had sex once and then we talked about me leaving and he told me he hated me for that, but then I gave him the ring - for safekeeping! - and he... He just did the exact same thing that put me off sex that the girl had done back then, um, five years ago, and... it was awesome? Like, I mean, blow-jobs are always good-"

Gladio snorted, "Word," under his breath, but Noctis just ignored him.

"-but somehow, when she had been sitting on my lap, riding... _me_ , it was nowhere near as good as when Prompto did it," Noctis ended, blushing a deep dark red.

"...Are you sure you should be talking about this, your majesty," Ignis asked flatly, to which Crowe just snorted.

"Leave him alone, the boy is in love and is discovering that sex is fun with the right person. Can be with anyone - if that's your thing - but it's kinda cute that his majesty needs to be in love for that to happen," she said before she turned around to look at Noctis directly, who just wanted to disappear. But at least Crowe understood what he wanted to know, namely, if it was normal to hate something when it was done with one person and love it when it was done with somebody else. "Don't let the guys tell you otherwise. Sex in any way is definitely more fun with someone you love. And better, too, no matter the shape of their body."

"You can say that easily, dating a bomb shell like Cidney," Libertus snorted. "No one's ever told _me_ I'm good in bed."

"Well, it could be your attitude and the fact that you only talk about food, but who am I to judge?" Crowe huffed and turned back around, flipping him off over her shoulder.

"Just saying you gotta have a body to show off before someone wants to get into your pants!" Libertus huffs and Noctis tries to think about it. He tries to compare Libertus to Prompto, but he frowns, because it feels like comparing meat to vegetables, and if he had to choose anyone or Prompto, he would always choose Prompto. So, instead, he tried to entertain the thought of Prompto with a body more like Libertus'. 

It was difficult, because Noctis was unable to imagine Prompto in any other way as he was now, but when he remembered that he had been complaining about putting on a bit of weight when they weren't touring, which resulted in him getting a little softer around the edges, he realized that he could never mind what his boyfriend looked like. He loved him and just thinking about leaving him alone in their bed made his heart ache and wish that he was back with him there.

"Gotta agree with Crowe there. It's definitely your attitude," Nyx said with an amused huff. "Not even I would fuck you and I've been starting to enjoy the extra pounds Luna's put on with the baby."

"Oh, yeah, right. How's that been going along?" Gladio asked, turning as much as he could. "I heard that pregnant women get extra horny."

"Can't say that's a rumor," Nyx replied, and when Noctis turned his head, he could see the reflection of his smirk in the window of their bus. He grinned to himself when Gladio and Libertus both started prodding Nyx for more details, but the guitarist avoided them all as best as he could.

Somehow, the banter and teasing managed to lull Noctis to sleep, even though his band members made so much noise that Prompto would have complained loudly. In his slumber, he dreamed that the blond was with them, joined the banter and the jokes and Noctis was leaning comfortably on his shoulder. The scene changed and they hit a bumpy road, but it was only when he saw his father was driving instead of Ignis that Noctis realized something was off.

The car shook again and he was startled awake, just to cling to Gladio's arm as Ignis drove some rather reckless zigzag course to evade explosions left and right.

"There's a tunnel in the mountain behind the forest over there! Drive there, that'll make them think we'll come out on the other side!" Crowe shouted over the sound.

"What's happening?!" Noctis asked, clinging tighter to Gladio's arm.

"While you were sleeping we made pretty good ground. However, when we got out of a tunnel, we found a Niff dropship right behind behind it. Sent off a message on secure channel to dad so they can send some more glaives here to take them down. Currently we're trying not to get blown up," Gladio quickly summarized what had happened while Crowe tried to navigate Ignis' driving to a safer place. There was a crack in the windshield already and all Noctis could do was pray that they were going to be okay.

Prompto woke up around 5:45 am, the time that he usually got up to go on a run. Nowadays he used the treadmill in the royal gym, but he preferred going out and seeing people waking up over staring at the same wall for half an hour or longer.

However, with how his body was aching all over, he decided to skip the morning run and stay in bed a little longer. Patting around, he noticed that the bed next to him was empty and with a start, he realized that it had been like that long enough for Noctis' half of the bed to become cold.

Bolting upright, he checked his phone for the time. 5:49, but hadn't Noctis said they would leave at 0600? What the fuck was going on with that?

Since he didn't know better what to do, Prompto pulled up Luna's phone number and called her immediately. While the phone was ringing, some of the adrenaline that had bolted him awake vanished and he could feel exhaustion pulling him back into the cushions. With every passing moment, he could feel a new part of his body hurting, but it all came back to the slightly sore feeling between his legs, and he realized with a start that he was butt naked under the blankets, the insides of his thighs still slick with lube. 

He gasped as he checked himself up further, muttering a soft "fuck," just when Luna picked up the phone.

"Why in Ifrit's name are you calling this early," the woman growled. "I just managed to fall back asleep."

"... _back_?" Prompto parrotted, huffing. "So he gave me the wrong time."

"What are you talking about?" Luna asked, sounding a little less annoyed, and a little more confused.

"Noct. He said they'd be leaving at 6, I guess that was a lie," Prompto hissed, sinking further into the pillows. 

"Nyx has been up since 4... I think he said something about leaving the city at 5 straight," Luna replied and yawned, shifting in the blankets of her own bed. "...I'm sorry."

"That garula fart... said he'd leave at 6 and knew I wouldn't believe him. And then he managed to get up even earlier than that! Of _course_ I wouldn't believe that! Who would?? He _never_ manages to get up before 10, how _could_ he?!" Prompto knew that he shouldn't be yelling at Luna over the phone, but he couldn't stop the anger bubbling out of him. The worst was that there were new, hot tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. "How could he do this to me..."

Luna was silent for a moment on the other end of the line, but when the first sob shook Prompto, she cooed to soothe him. "Hey... I know this is hard, but he just wants to protect you. It's always hard when they leave... but you're his reason to come back. You are what he wants to protect and that's why he has to do this alone." She chuckled. "You have no idea how often Nyx and I had this discussion. Just understand that he is doing all of this with the best intentions."

"I know... but I hate it," Prompto huffed, angrily wiping at his tears.

"I know. I hate it too. But I trust that they will come back. And please don't ask why, I just do," Luna replied, sounding a little unstable herself. "I'll be here to talk, if you need someone."

"I know... and you know I'm here for you as well," Prompto sniffled, remembering the promise he had made to Noctis last night.

Somehow he was sure that he and Luna would get to know each other even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will (hopefully) be out in 2 weeks again! Just a quick warning, the next chapters will enter some darker themes, as they are entering the war, so of course bad things are going to happen.
> 
> Thank you for following Outsomnia so far! If you want some more info and following us on twitter (makikoigami and vaniracoke) is not enough, you can join our [Discord](https://discord.gg/PAqXGrn)!


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 1 after Noctis left Insomnia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: We're sorry for the extra week delay. We were too busy with vacation and getting hom to get this chapter done last week, but here you are.
> 
> Then, this is where descriptions of war start. As it is the nature of these things, they're pretty traumatic and while I try to be not too graphic with the descriptions, there's nothing that I can do about the images it puts in your head.
> 
> So please, proceed at your own caution. Some of these descriptions might be triggering because of violence and death, so skip them to the next horizontal line if you have to, I won't blame you. ❤️

They managed to survive their first day, which - in Noctis' opinion - was quite the accomplishment. After the first attack from that drop ship they managed to hide out in the woods, tricking the Niffs into thinking they had fled through a long tunnel leading to the next big city. Instead, they took the long way around the mountain range, driving through lots of villages which had been wiped out by the same forces that had attacked them.

It wasn't hard to see where the Niffs had traveled along from there. Their path of destruction led them to houses where smoke was still rising from, to a line of bodies that had been left haphazardly along the way. Here and there were pieces of Niflheim armor, witnesses to the fact that the people in those villages hadn't gone down without a fight.

The first time they came across a place that had been wiped out, Noctis felt as if something inside of him broke. Sure, he had seen the same educational movies as all the kids in school, had heard stories about the horrors of war from his father and every other person at the court, but somehow, seeing dead bodies in person was something entirely different. Nothing that any kind of picture could ever convey or that he could ever be prepared for.

At first the others tried to stop him from seeing them. Which was all nice and okay, but it was just avoiding the inevitable. While they were busy searching a bigger place for possible survivors, Noctis had wandered off on his own, finding broken pieces of an old action figure that he had once owned as well. As he followed the pieces though, he ended up at a collapsed building, one of those that was still smoldering.

He kicked a bit of rubble, just to frown when it _didn't_ feel like stone and other solid construction materials. Breath caught in his throat, he leaned down to dig through the rubble, just to realize that he was excavating the arm of a child whose toy he had probably just found.

Mechanically, he dug up the rest of the body, just to realize that there was another body lying on top of the boy, probably his mother. It was hard to breathe, but Noctis kept digging, throwing rubble and debris away until he was able to pull the bodies out.

Panting, he stared at the cold, lifeless bodies, some of their limbs bent very in a very unnatural way. Swallowing thickly around the lump in his throat, Noctis tried to find his voice again, but no matter how often he tried, no sound would come out. To top it all off, he realized that he was crying after wiping furiously at the sweat that was running down his face.

Why he hadn't noticed before, he didn't know.

"Fuck," he breathed and closed his eyes for a moment in an attempt to calm his nerves, but he would still see the crushed bodies of mother and son. Slowly, he counted to ten and tried to think of nicer things, tried to think back on MRCRY's paintings on his walls, tried to picture the lines the strokes had made on the canvas during their concerts and very slowly, he was able to battle down the lump in his throat and push the constant feeling of nausea, fear and being watched by those unseeing eyes to the back of his mind so that he wasn't going to think about it all the time. He took another deep breath before he called out for the others.

"Noct! Where the fuck have you been?!" Gladio growled as he came sprinting towards the king. He only stopped short when the bodies came into view behind where Noctis was kneeling. His face froze, but not before the angry expression was replaced by understanding and worry.

"Get away there, we'll get them. How'd you even find this place?" the Shield asked as he helped Noctis up from the dirt that he was sitting in. He kept his arms around him even when he was upright again.

"Dug them up. After finding this," Noctis replied and pointed to the broken action figure. He blinked when he realized that his fingers were dirty and bleeding from digging through dirt.

Gladio followed the line of sight and sighed deeply. "Sorry you had to see it like this. Now get away from here and get your hands cleaned and patched up. Ignis will do that for you."

Noctis nodded and turned around to start walking mechanically away from the scene.

* * *

If Prompto had been furious that Noctis had left without saying a word, he was absolutely livid when he found out that no one had taken their mobile phones with them. "Security reasons," or so Cor Leonis had said when Prompto demanded answers from Gladio's father. 

It wasn't the best first conversation to be had with the man who was the third in command of the Lucian troops, but Prompto was too angry about everything to care.

"What kind of security reasons are this that forbid us to talk to each other?" Prompto demanded, receiving a raised eyebrow from the marshal.

"Any kind of electronic signal can be tracked. Especially those from mobile phones. I'm guessing you've got your GPS activated?" Cor said calmly, his steel-blue eyes boring right into Prompto's soul.

"I... sure. But I'd deactivate it if I were Noct!" Prompto protested, just out of spite.

"That wouldn't be enough. We - or the enemy - would be able to track you down via your mobile signal, piece of cake, actually. That's why they'd been ordered to leave their phones at home. They have a special communication unit with them that they can use in emergencies or when they've finished their mission. Let us hope that we won't be hearing from them any time soon," Cor explained with the patience of an elementary school teacher, making Prompto feel really small where he had just been bristling with anger.

"...but how am I supposed to know that he's alright now?" Prompto asked, unable to stop himself from sounding whiny just like a little child.

Cor regarded him with a long, unreadable stare while Clarus watched him with growing pity. Suddenly Prompto remembered that all these people here were worried about Noctis just as much as he was, and not just him. Clarus also had his own son to worry about, too. Just as Prompto wanted to open his mouth to apologize for being so insensitive, Cor's features softened and he walked over to put a hand on the blond's shoulders.

"Have faith. He is in the best company we could provide him with. Trust them to look out for each other and hope that they will manage to prevent the worst," he said and Prompto felt a little bit like his knees were about to give out under him from the physical force of the marshal and the weight of his words.

First he had been looking up at King Regis as something like a father figure and now Cor was acting just like one to him, too. He felt his eyes heating up, getting filled with new tears thanks to the trust and faith those people put into him and how easily they accepted him into their inner circle.

"I hate this," he sobbed out eventually, his lower lip quivering. Once he knew that there was absolutely nothing that could stop him from crying, he buried his face in the crook of his elbow and hoped that the others wouldn't judge him too hard.

Cor's hand slid from his shoulder, but the older man didn't move. He cleared his throat awkwardly and when Prompto looked up again, the marshal looked a little more awkward than before.

"We all hate this, Prompto," he said eventually. "But some things need to be done. And everyone's role in this is as important as that of others. Which is why his majesty said you and Lady Lunafreya should stay here, where you are as safe as you can possibly be."

Jutting out his lower lip, Prompto grumbled, "That's what everyone keeps saying, but why didn't you tell Noctis to stay where it's the safest? He's the fu- freaking King, shouldn't he be kept safe at all times?"

"Don't pout, young man. His majesty is doing this for you, as well," Clarus huffed. "That bastard who killed Regis? Apparently he told him something - and only him - that he needed to confirm himself. Said he could trust no one with whatever information that was."

Prompto blinked, his eyebrows shooting up after a moment.

Unlike Clarus and Cor and everyone else, Prompto actually had a pretty good idea what kind of information this was, even if he had no idea what the details were. But he was pretty sure that it had something to do with the tattoo on both his and the murderer's wrist.

"I see... Well, let's hope that they will find whatever he's looking for fast. I don't want to worry about him too long, I want him back here, where he's safe," Prompto replied and worried his lips.

"Trust me, we all do," Cor sighed.

~*~

The first news from Noctis' group came quicker than they had thought, and the news it brought was nothing that they had expected, either.

They said a small attack group of Niflheim soldiers was right in front of the gates of the Crown City and they were trying to evade them. Gladio asked for Kingsglaive backup to get rid of the threat and Cor did everything to sent the troops on their way as fast as possible. General Glauca took the other half of the Kingsglaive that was left in Insomnia at once and took the road down east.

A few hours later they returned, reporting that everyone of the attackers was dead, either killed in battle or died from suicide once they had been captured. It seemed as if they had little explosive devices in their armor that went off whenever they wanted, and apparently they had been told that no one should get imprisoned. Each and everyone of them burned down to ashes inside the metal of their armor, so that there was no way to identify them.

On one hand, it made Prompto angry because who would do this to their own people? On the other hand, it made him glad because that way, no one would ever see if those people maybe also had a tattoo like the one he and that murderer had. He didn't know what he would think if they found out that everyone in Niflheim had something like this, but it was a scary thought. A whole country forcing this kind of thing on their people and the only way to get away from it was to hide it forever?

He didn't want to think about it. Thus, he said nothing when the general finished his report, even if the man kept shooting him glances that made Prompto feel uncomfortable.

Despite him being a Kingsglaive - or maybe because he was one - it was rather unnerving to look at him. He had felt the same about Gladio, Nyx and even Crowe and Libertus, but somehow there was something in Glauca's eyes that unsettled Prompto right to the pit of his stomach. The others weren't any better and he was glad that Noctis didn't have these guys with him.

He addressed the matter to Luna when she invited him over for a late night tea. They sat back to watch some "girl" movies after Prompto had to decline her suggestion of watching horror movies together. Thus, they watched movies about high school girls being little bitches while they were little bitches themselves.

"Are girls really like that? I mean, in high school," Luna asked. "I know they're definitely like that when they think they need to be better than you."

"Uh... Well, since I wasn't a girl in high school, I can't tell you anything about sleepovers and Burn Books," Prompto replied, earning himself a chuckle from the woman. "I just... well, there _was_ a lot of bad blood between Catherine and Anastasia in my year, but, um, I usually kept to myself, so I don't know the whole extent of their feud. I just know that girls are scary."

Luna's chuckle turned into a full-fledged laugh. "Okay, that sounds exactly the same as the girls in show business, so I guess that there is really no difference that time makes."

"Yeah, in my experience no one really grows up when they become an adult," Prompto replied, snickering. "I mean, I'm 27 and I don't feel any more grown up than I did ten years ago."

"Trust me, I'm 31 and I feel exactly the same as I did with 18. Age really is just a number, but there are so many people who think that numbers are so important... Well. My husband certainly isn't getting any younger either and he didn't want to be too old to play with our children," Luna said, running a hand over her very swollen belly.

Prompto's eyes followed the movement, before he looked up again and asked, "So it was Nyx' idea? To, like, do it now?"

Luna shook her head. "He never says things like that. We talked about it, sometimes more, sometimes less, but we've always wanted children. Nyx may not look like it, but he has always had a soft spot for them. I think it's because he misses his little sister... He doesn't get to visit Galahd often and most of the money that he makes goes to his family to support them. You must know that Galahd was one of the countries that had to suffer the most during the war, being the last buffer between Niflheim and Lucis on the side where the Crown City is. They were overrun by them so many times, always stopped right in front of the wall... And now it's happening again, I cannot imagine the despair he, Crowe, and Libertus must feel."

Prompto nodded, but fell silent. Despite being raised by a refugee himself, he never had any ties to his caretaker's home country. In fact, he didn't even know where he came from himself for sure, if not for the connection that he and the king's murderer had.

Luna seemed to realize after a moment that she had touched a sensitive subject and she sat up a little straighter, tapping her lip nervously. "Ah! But you asked if it was his idea _now_ , which, I guess, was more a joint decision? We just sat together on Christmas and I told him how fed up I was with my job and how I hated that I had to deny his existence on a daily basis. Also, my manager kept telling me that I was getting too old for certain roles and Nyx said, 'If you're getting too old for _that_ , you might just see what they say when you get pregnant.' Of course, he was joking. He never means these kinds of things, but this time, I thought that he was right. So I told him that we should just do it. It was just after my ovulation anyway and we hadn't planned on doing anything, but after that first time... we didn't manage to get out of bed for a week."

"Oh, you go girl!" Prompto cheered, gently bumping her shoulder with a grin. He was still pensive over Nyx' roots and the fact that he didn't even know his own, but he had to be happy for Luna and that was easier to do than being broody for the rest of the night.

They continued to watch movies until they both passed out on the couch.

* * *

"Why did you go alone, Noct, you could have asked someone of us to come with you," Ignis said as calmly as he could, but Noctis imagined that there was a slight panic ringing in his voice as he cleaned his hands with alcohol and cotton. The king winced every now and then, but he watched the whole process with morbid fascination.

"I didn't want to bother you. I didn't think... I just saw this broken toy and it reminded me of the one I had as a child. And then I found the arm of a boy... and then his mother..." Noctis trailed off, staring at nothing in the distance, or rather, right in front of him. He didn't even notice at first when Ignis finished wrapping up his fingers and palms in soft bandages, if not for the fact that there was no more movement for a while. "...I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about, but... well. We all had hoped to push this experience as far back as possible." Ignis smile was soft, gentle, something that Noctis hadn't seen all that often lately. When they were younger, sure, earning more than one comment from Gladio that Ignis was coddling him up, but now that they were all so busy with their jobs, they rarely had a lot of time to be like this around each other.

Noctis smiled back sheepishly, not really knowing what he was supposed to say or do now. Luckily, he was saved by Libertus, who came close and said, "We finished digging the graves. You wanna say something?"

The glaive had shed his civilian jacket, standing there in just his undershirt and the necklace he always wore under his clothes. Noctis remembered that he had said something about a heritage, but he didn't know what it had to do with this necklace, other than he was never really taking it off.

"No-" Ignis started, but he couldn't finish what he wanted to say.

"I do," Noctis said, getting to his feet to wipe off the dirt from his own cargo pants and straighten out his black shirt. "These people died for our country and as their king, it's my duty to pay them all due respects."

"You don't have to-" Ignis started again, but Noctis shook his head.

"I want to," he said sharply, taking a second to deflate before he added more softly, "I need to."

Ignis looked back at him for a moment and then sighed softly. "Very well. I will not stop you. Let's hold a state funeral for these people."

Noctis nodded and together they walked over to where Nyx, Gladio and Libertus had digged graves for everyone they had found. In total, there were graves for 9 people and Noctis did his best to avoid looking at the boy and his mother whom he had found.

Gladio pushed a box towards him that Noctis used to step on, doing his best to look regal in clothes that were baggy and dirty in front of an equally rugged looking audience. In fact, it felt more like he was about to give one of his little speeches before a gig than addressing a special attack force right in the middle of a battlefield. His audience looked more like civilians after all. But it was better like this. They didn't need to be recognized by the people they met as Lucians. Maybe the troops that had attacked them didn't know who they were either. Judging from the destruction they had left behind, Noctis was suddenly sure that they had just shot at everything that moved.

With renewed anger at those who killed all these people and the memory of his father's funeral still fresh in his mind, he started his litany.

"Dear people of this small town. I cannot fathom the horrors you have faced and lost against. Please forgive me for not providing for your safety better." He took a deep breath, trying to read in the faces of the others whether or not he was doing a good job or not, but they all listened attentively, looking irritated or angry at all.

"We will make sure that no one will have to suffer your fate again in the future. Please rest assured that there are people who will mourn each and every one of you. You will not be forgotten."

Noctis closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, sending a few silent prayers to the Six. Then, he opened his eyes with new determination and went to take the shovel from Libertus' hands. Even though his hands still hurt from before, he started digging soil and dirt back into the graves, angrily blinking sweat out of his eyes.

He almost jumped when he felt Gladio's heavy hand on his shoulder. "You did enough, princess. We'll take over from here," he said softly and pulled gently at the shovel in Noctis' hands. It took a few tries for the younger to let go of the handle, but then it felt like all energy was leaving him, too. 

"Go sit in the car, we'll wrap up here," he said and gave Noctis a little push as well. The younger one nodded and watched them throw shovel after shovel of dirt to the ground, tearing his gaze away eventually to walk over to where the bus stood hidden behind a rock. He climbed into his seat, buckled in and closed his eyes. However, he couldn't get the sight of all these dead people out of his mind, so he opened them again, just to stare at the seat in front of him. Still, he couldn't stop seeing the same things over and over again until he had to squeeze his eyes shut and force the pictures out of his mind.

Just when he was about to fall into an endless spiral of despair the door of the car opened again and the others came in one by one, sitting down in solemn silence. Nyx sat down in the driver's seat while Ignis sat down next to Noctis, handing him a bottle of water. A few moments after Nyx had driven off Ignis spoke up and said, "It's not your fault."

Noctis frowned, because he _knew_ that. "No need to tell me," he growled, irritated.

"There is though," Ignis disagreed calmly, taking the bottle of water from Noctis' hands to open it. As he handed it back, he added, "This isn't anything that you see every day, it is highly disturbing and I can see that it is getting to you more than you try to let on."

"No one's blaming you, princess," Gladio chimed in, heaving a heavy sigh. "We're all scared shitless, but some things need to be done. That's why we're here."

Noctis frowned at them, trying to look angry, but if he was honest, he felt relieved to hear those things. That he wasn't being overly sensitive. That it was _normal_ to feel like this. However, he was still angry that they felt the need to point it out. He wasn't a baby, he didn't need to be coddled.

"Speaking of which, Nyx, this isn't the direction that we agreed upon earlier," Ignis interrupted them, leaning forward to be closer to the driver. "What-"

"These ships were everywhere," Nyx just said and when he wouldn't continue, Crowe sighed in exasperation and rolled her eyes at his lack of explanation. 

"Listen. This is the part of Galahd where we grew up," she said in his stead, turning around to look at Ignis first and then to Noctis. "Those people... we didn't know them, but we _could_ have. It's just an hour drive to the town where we grew up, so we want to check..."

Before anyone could voice any protest when Crowe trailed off, Noctis said quickly: "Do it. I'm sure we can make that much time. Besides, um, the more we know about the attackers, the better, right?"

"Well, ultimately it's your command, but I think it would do us good to gain some experience with those enemies," Ignis agreed with a sigh before he broke into a soft smile. "Gain some experience points."

"Yeah, better not face the end boss on level 20," Gladio snorted, making Noctis grin first and then break into a chuckle.

"Well, you can try, but it's gonna be a hard battle then. Unless you have the right equipment and incredible skills. Trust me, I've tried," he boasted, realizing a moment later that he was getting back to being himself. He blinked, surprised by the sudden change in his own attitude of the whole situation. But before he could start overthink why that was the case, everyone just teased him that there was no game where he could have beat the end boss at level twenty. 

"There is! Or, well, I think I was level 25, but Prompto said he once beat Assassin's Creed at level 20, so it's totally possible!" He protested, to which Libertus just snorted.

"If he beat it at level 20, then _he_ should be the one playing drums, not me. Provide me with proof!" He said, and Noctis reached for his phone just like he usually would do to contact his boyfriend.

Only that he realized too late that he didn't have his phone with him. No, it was back in Insomnia, keeping them safe by not being traceable through the GPS in those. Noctis had thought it was stupid then and he still thought it was stupid now, but Cor and Clarus had insisted on it, so who was he to talk back to the military advisers of his father, who had been through more wars than Noctis himself?

"...I'll ask him once we're back," Noctis sighed and an awkward silence spread through the car while Nyx drove down a few winded roads as fast as he dared.

Hopefully they wouldn't encounter another wiped out village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler: ...well, what do you think? %D
> 
> I hope this won't take me another three weeks, but next weekend is Plumpto Weekend and we plan on participating, so it _might_ just happen again. But you'll get Plumpto stories from me, so I hope I'm excused. ^^;;


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna has an appointment at the doctor's and takes Prompto with her.  
> Noctis tries to be a good leader.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> I hoped you enjoyed Plumpto weekend last week, I had some with my story from then! I am also proud I managed to be back on schedule (ish... the two weeks is both better and worse, but I can tell you about that in our [Discord](https://discord.gg/PAqXGrn)) even if that was due to a minor surgery I had. It meant I could stay at home and have some time to write. :3

Prompto watched in awe as the screen next to the stretcher that Luna was laying on showed them how the baby inside of her looked. It was almost as if it was born already, looking extremely detailed and life-like, even though the picture was still only in nuances of black and white.

"The baby looks super healthy and is in a perfect position. You should be feeling Braxton Hicks or practice contractions a lot these days," the doctor said, moving the sensor over the stretched out skin of the woman's stomach. Prompto squeezed her hand as he stared at the screen still, only half-listening to what the doctor lady was explaining.

"I do! I mean, I get cramps that feel like... those during my monthly visits of mother nature. Are those bad?" Luna asked and Prompto managed to tear his gaze from the screen to look at her worried face.

"No, these are perfectly normal. You will notice how it feels like to have real contractions when they happen. The pain from those is stronger than I could tell you, but trust me, you _will_ notice what they feel like," the doctor said in a reassuring tone, even though Prompto didn't think that her words sounded reassuring in any way. "I'll be on call all the time, so you can write me or call me if you have any questions."

"Okay, thank you so much," Luna smiled, squeezing Prompto's hand back.

"Do you already know the gender of the baby or do you want to know it now? I could also print out a picture from your ultrasonic scan," the doctor asked and Prompto looked at her in surprise, earning himself an amused grin.

"A picture would be nice. And no, my husband and I agreed to let it be a surprise at the actual birth... Besides it's something that he believes the Gods decide when it actually happens," Luna smiled and Prompto was glad that she had introduced him as a good friend helping her while her husband was away because he was sure that he would have to listen to a bunch of technical terms and ideologies that he had absolutely no idea of.

"I see... he's from Galahd? I've heard from some colleagues that this is what people there believe in," the doctor nodded, choosing a few angles to snap a picture from. "You're lucky... your kid doesn't want you to know its gender either. See? It has a hand in front of its private parts."

"Sneaky," Prompto commented, wincing at how raw his own voice sounded.

Luna chuckled and smiled fondly at the screen. "We will find out in due time then."

"I'll get you three pictures, these will be a nice memory. The first paparazzi pictures of Lady Lunafreya's baby," she joked, taking the sensor away to wipe it clean before she did the same to Luna's stomach. "Don't worry, I'm not selling them to the press though."

"You better not, you wouldn't want to face the wrath of the Oracle's descendant," Luna returned in the sweetest voice Prompto had ever heard, but he didn't think that she was joking one bit. He shrugged with a sheepish grin as the doctor looked at him for help, before they all laughed awkwardly.

"I'll be back after I printed these. You can get dressed again," the doctor said and pushed a box of tissues towards Luna. Prompto took it and held it out to Luna who wiped her swollen belly before she sat up and adjusted her dress so that it was flowing back down over the rest of her body.

You didn't see it at first, but since Prompto spent a lot of time with her, he knew that her body was swollen in places he never knew. He had spent an hour every night massaging the water out of her feet, rubbing lotion into her skin to help keep it soft and flexible, fighting against those stretch marks that came from your body growing faster than your body could adjust. He was pretty sure that it wouldn't help with all of her stretch marks, but they did what they could. 

Luna kept telling him how to do it right, how Nyx had done it before he left and Prompto listened to her ramble while he worked his fingers over her skin and even though they both knew she could simply hire someone to do that for her, Prompto couldn't deny that he enjoyed the bonding process between them. As someone who had never really had many close friends, he felt awkward around other people, especially when he was supposed to touch them. The first few times, he started to get nervous and had to battle down his anxiety, but the fact that Luna thought nothing was wrong with it had him relax over time. 

Really, he had thought that you could only share this level of physical intimacy with someone you loved like a lover and that touching anyone else was a sign of cheating. But since Luna explicitly told him that she trusted him above anyone else, he tried not to let his imagination run away with it. She was married and from how she talked about Nyx, the two of them were still very much in love and it reminded him of all the things that he and Noctis could still be doing in the future.

It was just an unfortunate break in their relationship due to circumstances out of their control and it would be over soon.

Or so Prompto told himself every night when he lay alone in the big bed of the king, trying to chase sleep.

* * *

The night was clear and even though the nights in Galahd were colder than they were in Insomnia, the reason why Noctis was shivering was not the weather. The coffee in his mug wasn't hot anymore, but the metal in his hands felt like it was burning his fingers.

Funny what your brain could make you believe when it was entirely shaken by things you never thought you'd see.

Their whole group had been eerily quiet ever since they had left the remains of Nyx', Libertus' and Crowe's hometown. The attack of the Niflheim troops had been so long ago that there was nothing left anymore. No smoldering remains, nothing, only the foundation walls of the houses indicated that people had been living there before. Nothing was left of the places that Libertus and Nyx had been talking about from when they were kids, not the little houses with barbecues in front of it, nor the little stage, nothing. Not even the church where they had found Crowe on the steps as an infant had been spared from the lust of destruction of the Niffs.

For Noctis, it was devastating to see the horror in his friends' eyes as they realized what had happend and to watch their frantic search for _something_ they knew must have been there just to end up with despair when they would find absolutely _nothing_.

He tried his best not to let it get to him and tried to hide how much it _did_ get to him after all. Obviously, he wasn't too good at it, because Ignis handed him a handkerchief wordlessly. It took Noctis a while to understand, but he needed it to wipe the tears from his eyes.

They let them search for the whole day, until night fell on them. It was then that Gladio had to pull them away with all his strength; he literally had to pick Nyx off the ground and throw him back into the van and then repeat the whole thing with Libertus. Well, it didn't look that easy picking Libertus up, but Gladio made it look easy. Thankfully he didn't have to repeat the action for Crowe, who just snapped at him and climbed into the car by herself.

Noctis ended up in the front passenger seat while Ignis drove them to a spot far away and hidden enough for them to camp, but ever since then, none of them had spoken a word at all. Not when they put up the tents, nor when Ignis had prepared their dinner and not even when Gladio had insisted they stayed sitting around the fire to, well, _talk_.

It was grating on Noctis' nerves and made him wonder if whatever they were doing wasn't useless after all. What could they - a group of six people - do to stop an army that was so ruthless they wiped out harmless villages just because they were on their way?

He glanced over to Nyx, who was staring into the fire with unseeing eyes. Oh, how he would love to know what was on his mind. Was he thinking about his past? Or was he trying to imagine how his family's last moments had been like?

Noctis hoped that they didn't have to suffer. He tried to conjure enough hope to imagine that they managed to get away somehow, but no matter how he tried, he couldn't get the look of fatalism from Nyx out of his mind. Even though he hadn't said a word yet, Noctis knew him well enough to know that it meant that no hope was left.

It was hard to try and think positive that way. His thoughts were going wild already and supplied him with horrible images of what might have happened.

So he tried to think about what he did when he was super nervous at other times, like before a concert.

He thought about their music and then he realized that the best he could do against his nervousness was to stand somewhere and sing with all that he could give.

So he took a deep breath and started, " _run away... hide mind,_ " and didn't care that his voice sounded rough and broke in the middle. It wasn't like he was ready to sing in the first place.

Ignis looked up and shot him a glance, Gladio hid a snort, but there was no reaction from Nyx yet. So Noctis continued to look into the flames and breathe out the words to _hidemind_. " _Replace... hide mind..._ "

He thought back to Prompto, who seemed so far away, who had loved the song a lot when he had heard it for the first time. Noctis recalled the sparkle in his eyes when he gushed about the lyrics, how great they were and then, when they got to know each other better, he once asked how much of it reflected Noctis' own feelings.

Despite the fact that the song was several years old already, every word of it and every line resonated deeply within Noctis and right now was one of the times that he wished he could just hide in his mind forever.

_"With envy and betrayal I might hurt someone, I don't even care, neither does someone... Do you know how hard it is to know each other, I can't say..."_

He opened his mouth to start with the chorus, but Nyx beat him to it, starting to sing the words of another song. " _Crush my eyes..._ " His voice was breaking and he wiped furiously at his eyes before he stood up. " _Crush my eyes if I don't wanna see your smile, hey, don't look out of me out of me. My brain cells infected in your tattooed body, babe, uh.. what is your name again?_ "

Crowe chimed in with, " _Would you mind if I step into your side?"_

When Nyx continued the song, Libertus full baritone joined him. " _I can't hold it down, oh god, lace me down, every move you make is driving me crazy. Your pierced body catches my optic nerve that I cannot make a move._ "

By the time they got to the chorus, even Ignis had chimed in and they all sang and yelled at the top of their lungs. " _Bring you brighter light and take you higher ground. Bring me tasty drink before I dry out. Make your peace and feel like driving on the cloud. Make me excited, please, and get me kick out!_ "

They laughed and fell back into their chairs and it was obvious that something had shifted. The tension had lessened, even though it was still there, but Noctis managed to laugh it off. This was probably the weirdest version of _Kick Out_ they had ever performed, but at least its effect was the same as usual and despite them not having their instruments to accompany it, he felt giddy and full of motivation to move on afterwards.

He flexed his fingers, missing the microphone in his hand, but then he realized that he also missed Prompto's hand in his.

"I miss her," Nyx whispered then, startling him from his own thoughts. He whirled his head around, to see the other wiping at his eyes. "I swore that I wouldn't, that this would be just like any other mission, but... now it's personal. And I wish... Luna were here to cool my head. She could tell me... Tell me they're in a better place now," he sobbed with a growl, angrily pressing the heels of his palms into his eyes.

Noctis closed his mouth again, thinking back on when he had promised Prompto that he would find out the secrets behind his barcode tattoo, that he would avenge his father's slow death.

"It's always been personal... for me," he breathed, surprising himself with how calm his voice sounded. "And now more than ever," he added, turning to look at Nyx first and then the rest of his companions. "We _will_ stop this. And then we will go home and be with our loved ones."

Libertus scoffed. "You're just saying this because you're still in the honeymoon phase."

Shooting him a glare, Noctis shrugged. "So what? I thought I'd never feel anything like I feel for Prom. Never. But before myself, I want to protect him and everything he believes in, because he's the best person in the whole world and he deserves so much more than someone like me!"

Libertus blinked, while Nyx snorted in amusement, even as he tried to wipe the tears from his eyes still.

"I don't know if you can get any better than a prince," Gladio grunted a chuckle that earned him a sharp glare from Ignis. 

"You see, that's the thing. He liked me before. Teased me about being a spoiled rich kid, but he stuck with me anyway. He even refused half of the money I threw at him. That's what makes him better than anyone else you made me date before," Noctis hissed before he took a breath to calm down again. "I miss him. But I wouldn't want him to see anything of what we've seen so far. And somehow I feel like it's just the beginning. So I want to get this done as quickly and cleanly as we can and then we can just back to doing what we want to do."

Noctis could feel the others' looks on him that made him squirm. He knew he sounded naive and that it was probably unlikely that the six of them would be able to end a full-blown war. However, the plan was that they would go in as quickly as they could, convince whoever was behind this attack to stop it with everything they got and return home. With the rest of their people or alone.

Noctis found it hard to breathe until Crowe eventually snorted. "Sometimes it's really a blessing that you're so fucking lazy. You're always looking for the most efficient solution for a problem."

"You know, I never know if you're insulting or complimenting me," Noctis gave back, exhausted. He would have never said anything under normal circumstances, but everything they had done and seen in the past few days had been anything but normal.

"Take it as you like it," Crowe smirked, but there was no malice in her voice and her gaze was strangely gentle. "I can't wait to go back to Lestallum, either."

"Well then, we should get some sleep and take off early so we can get straight to Niflheim as fast as we can," Ignis threw in and pushed himself back to his feet, just so that he could stretch his shoulders. "Gladio, could you help me tidy up, please?"

"I'll take the first watch," Noctis offered. He was sure that he would be unable to sleep anyway, and he thought that he could use the time to write down some words that could turn into lyrics one day.

"Me too," Nyx volunteered and while Noctis was grateful for the company, he also knew that they didn't trust him yet to be of help in case of an attack. He didn't have any combat experience and was their king, too, so they thought they needed to protect him and he disliked the idea that they saw him as the weakest link in their group. However, if he thought about Prompto coming with them, he was glad that they had told him to stay at home. He would have been so angry if they had given him the same treatment that they were giving Noctis now and he was sure that this would have caused a rift between them that would be hard to repair.

Once the others had returned to their tents, Noctis pulled out a notebook and started jotting down random words from the depth of his brain. They didn't make sense to him, but he was sure that he would be able to sort them into something like a song when he looked at them again. It was really just something for him to pour his thoughts into and get them out of his mind.

"You... You two are pretty serious, huh?" Nyx commented while he was checking his clothes for places that needed mending. Noctis had seen the others do that whenever they were resting and he suspected that it was pretty much the same thing as playing with their phone. They just needed something to do for their hands.

"I... Yeah." Noctis smiled, feeling how his cheeks and the tips of his ears started heating up. At this point, Prompto was the only thing in his life that still could make him do that.

Nyx took a deep breath and shifted a little in his seat. He decided that his clothes were fine and went to take a look at his weapons and their other equipment.

"Do you... plan on marrying him?" He asked as he checked up on the weapons in the van.

Noctis face heated up even more, because he _did_ remember that he _had_ basically proposed on the night they had left. 

"We'd support you, naturally," Nyx said without looking up from the box with shields and highly advanced swords. "But... you've seen what happened to Luna after she... 'came out'. With the truth, I mean."

Noctis frowned and ran his thumb over the side of his pen. He _knew_ it was a risk, but it had always been one that he was willing to take. He would give up the throne for him without hesitation, if there was any other way. But as things were, they still had to abide to the rules, at least as for as long as there weren't any new ones.

"How... was that for you?" Noctis asked, because he knew that Nyx must have been devastated, but he had kept quiet through everything up until the day that he had taken Luna out of Tenebrae.

Nyx shrugged. "Pretty much business as usual. Contrary to you guys' believe, she's still the one setting the tone of the relationship. This was _her_ business and it wasn't my place to tell her how to do it."

"I know she likes that about you, but she also sometimes wants you to be more... active," Noctis replied, smiling softly as he returned to scribbling words into his notebook.

"Yeah? Well, she didn't like it when I did. Not. One. Bit," Nyx huffed. "We had a falling out, almost broke up over it. Really, pretty horrible time."

Noctis stopped scribbling and stared at the man in the rest of the light of the campfire. He looked tired, there were big circles under his eyes. Maybe it was the dim lightning, but Nyx looked much older than usual.

"...I'm sorry," he said softly, feeling a spike of anxiety inside of him. He didn't want his best friends to break up. They were his role model when it came to relationships and while he was aware that he was idolizing something that he shouldn't, he couldn't help it. It was the first and only successful relationship he had been able to witness, given that he had grown up without a mother.

"We managed," Nyx breathed, taking another weapon to inspect it. "Took a lot of talking and fighting and crying... And I'm just talking about myself," he smirked, turning only slightly to wink at Noctis.

The king snorted and he shook his head lightly. "Yeah, I know Luna isn't the type. She'd keep her head high even if the world around her was falling apart." 

"Yeah, that's Luna for you," Nyx huffed with a soft snort. "She'd rather keep her dignity than her life. That's the heritage of the Oracle for you. But no one will stop me from protecting my unborn child, because children are the future."

There was a flash of pain on his face and Noctis knew that he had opened a can of worms, or rather, that it had popped open all of a sudden.

"...They are," he agreed quietly, because it was the truth. Without children, there would be no future and he realized that there was a deeper meaning to Nyx' words and why he had started this conversation.

"Nyx... If I marry Prompto... The chances that there will be direct heirs to the crown of Lucis will be dim... Is that what you wanted to tell me?" Noctis asked, looking up at the other. He tried to be open, but he couldn't help the despair growing in the depth of his stomach until he started to feel sick.

Nyx froze with a little frown, taking a moment to consider Noctis' question. He heaved a small sigh and said, "You make the rules, your majesty. It's your country, your crown, your heritage. I'm just a guy from Galahd, there's nothing I could tell you about big things like the crown or something."

"You're being exceptionally helpful there," Noctis scoffed, poking the paper of his notes with an angry pout.

Nyx took a deep breath and came back to sit beside Noctis. "Look. I didn't mean to... To give you self-doubts about yourself and your relationship. It's obvious how much you love Mercury and how happy he makes you. You... you were the one who supported us when I had no confidence in myself or this ridiculous relationship. And look where this has gotten me."

Nyx offered a crooked smile and leaned over to squeeze Noctis' shoulder while the younger heaved a heavy sigh before he attempted a smile on his own.

"All I'm trying to say is, this is your life, live it the way you want it. No regrets," Nyx said and squeezed his shoulder again. "You're a good person, this world needs more of your kind."

Noctis bit his lip and didn't know what to say for a long time. He tried to say how he didn't think that he was special in any way, he knew so many people who were better than him, Nyx included. If anything, Prompto was the one who the world needed more of, someone who was honest and talented and could tell so much with a single stroke of a brush, or some words on some notes. 

He was no one, just someone who had been born into a royal family, someone who was destined to become king, possibly the last king of his line. Maybe that made him special, yes, but he knew there were much better people out there.

"Thanks... you too," he managed to say instead, knowing that this was the right thing to say. He took a deep breath to swallow his own fears and concentrate on the words he wanted to put to paper.

* * *

"Nyx!"

Prompto startled awake, shot up in the lush bed that he was lying in. Something was different than before and it took him quite a while to realize what it was.

He must have fallen asleep in Luna's quarters and her bed, too. _How_ that had happened though was beyond him, or maybe he just wasn't awake to remember yet.

"Luna?" he asked, his voice still raw with sleep. "Luna, wake up, you're having a nightmare!"

"No... no, don't go there," Luna groaned and tossed in her sleep, her blond hair sticking to her forehead from her sweat. One moment later her eyes snapped open in a very creepy way, before they focused on his face. She blinked and panted, then grabbed his arm and sat up slowly, putting a hand on her chest.

"Did... I scared you, didn't I? I'm sorry," Luna breathed, slowly calming down. "I've been... I've had a lot of these nightmares lately. But I know they're just... that. Nightmares. Nothing... nothing I should be worried about."

Prompto watched her and knew that you didn't need to be a genius to know that she _was_ scared and pretty heavily, too.

"...If you want to talk about it... I'm here," he said, shifting a bit so that they could lie down again. He remembered that Noctis had always sought out his proximity even before they had gotten together, so he offered that to Luna, too. 

For a moment, she hesitated, but since they had been cuddling on the couch before, she lay her head gingerly on his shoulder. When he put his hand on her sweaty hair, it was almost like running his hand through Noctis' hair after a concert. Just that Luna's hair was soft and thin and Noctis' was... well. Thick and coarse in comparison.

"...I'm happy... that you're here," Luna said after a moment and Prompto didn't think she would tell him what the dream was about. "It's good to know... I'm not alone in this."

"Yeah," Prompto agreed solemnly. "Me too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luna's dream is just a simple nightmare btw. Nothing too premonitive. (That's not a word, right?) Thank you for reading this far! :D Next update will be right on schedule in two weeks time!


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We need to stop them," Ignis said as he killed the engine, resting his chin on his gloved hands above the wheel.
> 
> Nyx huffed. "Guess we gotta go and sabotage those things?"
> 
> "Well, I'm sure if you hit them hard enough, they will break apart. Just like anything else," Libertus suggested with a shrug.
> 
> "Simple, yet effective," Ignis snorted, sounding none too impressed. "We would just need to know where to hit."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the few hours delay. We had technical difficulties.

They took off before the sunrise, just like Ignis had promised. Noctis slept through most of it, but when he woke up in the afternoon, the car stopped because they were near what they thought was a Niff base. There were at least enough flying ships to start an invasion between them and the nearest harbor where they had hoped to find a boat that would take them to Niflheim. It looked like the ships were ready to fly into Insomnia every moment now. Even if they tried to bypass them, it was still too dangerous to let them pass without doing anything.

"We need to stop them," Ignis said as he killed the engine, resting his chin on his gloved hands above the wheel.

Nyx huffed. "Guess we gotta go and sabotage those things?"

"Well, I'm sure if you hit them hard enough, they will break apart. Just like anything else," Libertus suggested with a shrug.

"Simple, yet effective," Ignis snorted, sounding none too impressed. "We would just need to know _where_ to hit."

"I'm pretty sure we can find that out easily," Libertus smirked. "Just look for the place that's most heavily guarded, break through the guards and hit whatever's behind them."

"Sounds like a plan... do you volunteer to find out where that is?" Ignis asked dryly, glancing over his side with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh... I think Crowe is much better at those kind of stealth missions," Libertus offered, earning himself a whack over the head from the woman in question.

"Don't you _dare_ volunteer me," Crowe growled, but started to look out at the troops and ships in front of them. Noctis followed her gaze with a frown of his own, scanning the fully armored troops. They all seemed to look the same to him and he wondered what good it would do to restrict one's fighters' vision, only to remember that the traditional uniform of the Kingsglaive included a hood with a visor that blocked most of the wearer's vision, too.

"There seem to be... hundreds of them. I can't see them all, but getting through them will be... hard. We'd need a distraction. Or lots of stealth," she concluded, sitting back with a pensive expression.

"I can do it," Nyx spoke up, stretching his neck by moving his head to each side. "I can get in there, shut down their energy sources and be back in... what, half an hour. Max."

"Show off," Crowe coughed under her breath, ignoring the look Nyx was shooting her.

"It's... reasonable. One man alone could probably get farther than all of us," Ignis hummed in agreement.

"No, you cannot go alone. You've got someone waiting for you back at home," Noctis protested. "Luna would _never_ let me hear the end of it if something happened to you."

"We should attack from two sides," Ignis added, still strategizing. "One from the left, and one from the right. We need to be fast though... I shall go with you. Together, I am sure we will succeed."

Everyone in the van looked at Ignis in surprise, but Gladio was the first to speak up. "Are you sure this is a good idea? You're... you're our strategist."

"Yes and that's exactly why I have to go, because quick thinking might be crucial. Nyx and I are the ones most qualified for such an endeavor. You will take cover here until we give you a signal," Ignis ordered.

"A signal... for what?" Gladio asked, sounding like he didn't like the idea at all. Neither did Noctis, but he knew Ignis well enough to know when arguing with him was futile, so he kept quiet.

"You will know," Ignis assured him. "Nyx, we should get our weapons."

"You're the boss, boss," Nyx snorted as he got out, rounded the car and came back to the front with two pairs of daggers, one of them slightly longer than the other pair. The first pair looked more like kitchen knives, and Noctis wasn't surprised when Ignis took those from Nyx' hands. The other pair looked more traditional, all curves and elegant lines. They seemed to be the same on the first glance, but even after a few moments, Noctis could tell that they were different. He recalled that those were called Kukri in one of his games, too.

"Are you sure these will be enough? You should take some guns with you, too," Gladio asked again, looking as if he was trying to hold back his anger. He probably wanted to say something more, but he was trying to respect Ignis’ decision.

"I'm faster with these than any gun can be. But if it calms you, I have this bulletproof vest and I'm sure that it will be able to protect me," Ignis replied and adjusted his glasses. "Or do you not trust me to be able to be of use for our king?"

Looking taken aback for a second, Gladio just scoffed. "Fuck you," he muttered under his breath. "Fine, if you want to throw your life away, do whatever you want. But know that I will be going after your sorry ass if there's no signal after those thirty minutes."

"Thank you," Ignis smiled and stepped out of the car. Before he closed the door, he turned to Noctis and said, "Your majesty, should I be unable to return, please remember... to eat your vegetables from time to time."

"What the fuck, Iggy, don't say things like that," Noctis protested, shocked that Ignis would even consider his own death a possibility. "If you're not back in time, we will go in there and get you out of there!"

"Great that you're all so concerned about the man with the family," Nyx snorted bitterly, twirling his daggers around his fingers before putting them back into their sheaths again. "We'll try and get radio connection, so stay on standby. They shouldn't be able to notice if you're just listening. It's such a long wave frequency that no one's using anyway. Unless they're stupid. Like us."

"Understood. And Nyx, don't try to be a hero. There are still a lot of people who need you, too," Libertus said as he leaned out of the window of the van. "Keep that in mind before you do something reckless."

"You know me," Nyx smirked, doing a few squats to stretch and warm up.

"Yeah, that's why I'm telling you. _Don't_ be yourself, okay? Think of us here and... think of your wife," the larger man said with a sigh. "I mean, I know you won't care in the middle of a fight, but just... be careful, okay?"

"I promise," Nyx said with just the hint of an exasperated sigh.

"Well, I know you won't, but thanks for trying," Libertus huffed, sinking back into the car seat.

"Check your clocks. Thirty minutes start now. Nyx, you take the right side, I'll be coming in from the left. We'll meet at the radio tower in the middle," Ignis instructed before he adjusted his own clothes. Noctis hoped that he wouldn't regret wearing something that looked like a suit later, for being restrictive, but then again, this was Ignis and apparently, he had been born in a suit. At least Nyx looked like he was ready to go to combat with his cargo pants and dark t-shirt.

"Got it," Nyx replied. "For hearth and home."

Noctis watched as they took off in opposite directions and prayed that everything would go well.

* * *

"You're a terrible liar," Luna said with a heavy sigh, seated down in the plush chair in the gazebo on top of the Citadel. "You said we'd be able to see Galahd from here."

"We do," Prompto laughed sheepishly. "It's just that it's so far away that you can't really see anything."

"Still not fair. Getting my hopes up like that," Luna pouted as she leaned back in the chair, getting comfortable with her feet on the foot rest. She reached over to get her tea cup, too, and took a slow sip. "How do you even know about this place?"

"Noct took me here on a date," Prompto smiled as he sat down opposite to her, getting out a sketch book and some pencils.

"On a date?" Luna asked, her lips curling up into a smile. "He's always so dramatic when it comes to those things."

"Oh yeah," Prompto snorted, opening an empty page to start a new sketch of Luna. The beginning of that book was filled with sketches of Noctis in various poses, but when he had left, Prompto started drawing Luna instead. At first he felt bad about it, but then he realized it would be a good diary of the last days of her pregnancy and while he still hoped that Noctis and the others would be back before the baby was born, he was sure that Nyx would appreciate the gesture, so he planned to give it to them as a late birthday gift for the baby.

"Took him a while to understand that sometimes it was enough to just... watch a movie on the couch together with some fast food."

"I can understand where he's coming from though... The dates he arranged for me always had to be flashier than before, as the media would be following us around. That way, he could also advertise some new places and sometimes he just took me somewhere because he thought that you would like it," Luna chuckled.

"I really liked that place on top of the wall where we went on Valentine's Day... Even if the service there was the worst. And we couldn't see a thing because it was raining so hard," Prompto chuckled as he busied himself with moving his pencil over the paper. Soon, Luna's profile appeared on the paper, looking pensive.

"I remember that," Luna smiled. "He was so nervous all throughout our date that he hardly paid attention to anything I said. I was asking him if he had managed to confess on Christmas Eve, but I think he wanted to just be _perfect_."

"Yeah, it's adorable when he's like that, but it can be exhausting. He grew up on one too many fairy tale," Luna chuckled. "But I was the same when I started asking Nyx out. I wanted so badly to impress him, to show off how good a connection between him and I would be that I forgot the most important part."

Prompto laughed, "That's something you rich people do, huh? Try so hard to impress everyone with what you can buy and forget what's really important. Noctis was the same. He was so focused on the service of that restaurant that kept interrupting us, the weather and how him being late ruined the date... Among other things. I think, if I hadn't been so excited for what was going to come, his bad mood might have infected me, but then, I was just happy that he was finally there and we shared a few good moments together."

"But he did confess, right? Because there was nothing else that he could think and talk about that day, even when I told him that Niflheim was advancing on Tenebrae," Luna asked with a worried frown.

"Yeah, but only when we were waiting for Ignis to pick us up again," Prompto snorted, starting a new sketch on the next page that was just another Noctis from his memory. He tried to capture the look of remorse the prince back then had worn on his face that day. With every dark line that he put on the white paper, he realized how much he was missing the other already.

"I had to kiss him to make him remember what he wanted to say," Prompto finished with a low, melancholic sigh. "I miss those days... things were easier then. And that was _after_ I had met Regis, too."

"Indeed, those were easier days," Luna agreed with a sigh. A moment of silence passed between them, before she blinked and chuckled, carefully lowering her cup to put it on her swollen stomach. She balanced it for a moment with her hands, catching Prompto's attention. When she saw that he had his attention, she lifted her hands and her whole face lit up when the cup stayed where it was.

"Look!" she beamed, although Prompto was already looking.

"Wow, that really works?" he gushed, putting his sketchbook aside to crouch in front of her. 

"Seems like it! I didn't want to believe Ravus when he said that mother would do this all the time when she was pregnant with me, but it seems like he wasn't lying," Luna chuckled, which shook the cup, so she picked it up quickly again.

"Is that something all pregnant women do?" Prompto asked, curiously, innocently, but Luna looked at him with wide eyes, her chuckles dying down. For a moment, Prompto wondered if he had asked such an atrocious question that she was shocked, but then he guessed that she must have assumed something that was normal for all people, but since Prompto was... _different_ , it was obviously something that didn't occur to him.

"Yeah... I mean... Since I can't move much, I sometimes get the feeling that I'm nothing more but a decorative item sometimes. Like... a table, you know? And that's why it's funny-"

"I get it's funny," Prompto interrupted her slightly awkward explanations. "But I guess I haven't come across many pregnant women yet." He chuckled sheepishly, which Luna returned with a sympathetic little smile.

"Here," she said and reached out for his hand, putting it gently on her stomach. "This is what it feels like."

Prompto blinked, looked wide-eyed at her face and then down to where his hand was resting. Even through the layers of soft cotton and silk he could feel that her stomach wasn't soft, but taut. Then again, her belly had been stretched out vastly in quite the short amount of time, so it shouldn't be too surprising. What he wasn't prepared for though was the fact that it was _moving_.

"Whoa!" he gasped, pulling his hand back. "Does it do that a lot?"

Luna chuckled, a sound that soon turned into a laugh. "Yeah, well, _it_ is a living human being which turns around at least once a week. So yeah, the little one is moving quite a lot, actually."

"Really... wow," Prompto asked, slowly lowering his hand again, but he hesitated to actually touch Luna.

"You can touch... I don't mind," Luna said and gave him an encouraging little smile.

He looked back a little helplessly, but in the end, he just huffed a breath and put his hand back on her stomach. Not one moment later, he could feel something kicking from the inside of her stomach.

"Holy shit!" he gasped, moving his hand a little to get a better feeling of the kick he had just felt. "That... that was a kick, right?"

"Yes," Luna chuckled. "The baby is pretty active right now."

"It... they feel strong. Like... _really_ strong. Does it hurt when they kick you?" Prompto asked, sliding his hand slowly around, wondering if he could make out more of the shape of the baby inside.

"Well, it doesn't feel nice, if that's what you want to know," Luna replied. "It's like having... eaten something bad, it feels like everything is moving down there."

"That... doesn't sound pleasant," Prompto commented and made a face before he pulled his hand away. "Did Nyx get to feel this?"

Luna nodded with the attempt of a smile, but she looked sadder with every passing moment. "Yes... but I wish he could be here to feel it now..."

Biting his lip, Prompto fell silent. He hadn't wanted to remind Luna of the absence of her husband, much less he wanted her to think about the possibility that he wouldn't return anymore.

"They will be back soon," he whispered, hoping that he sounded more convincing than he was himself.

* * *

"Okay, I'm going in," Libertus said determined, moving to get out of the car.

"You do _not_ ," Gladio growled back, grabbing the back of the older man's shirt to yank him back into the car. "We're waiting for the signal."

"But it's already _been_ more than 30 minutes! They gotta be back by now," Libertus protested, trying to bat Gladio's hand away.

"They said, we were supposed to wait for a signal! Not for their return," Gladio bellowed back, putting his hand on Libertus' shoulder instead. He pushed him down into the seat and just when Libertus opened his mouth to voice more protests, a flash lit up the darkened sky, followed a moment later by a loud explosion.

"...I think that's the signal," Crowe deadpanned, just as Noctis climbed into the driver's seat and started the car.

"Wait," Crowe said and Noctis changed the gear back into park before he could leave their hiding spot. "Let's wait a moment longer..."

A few more explosions followed and two of the airships started descending, falling down and into the base. What was strange about it was that there were no screams to be heard, although the explosions were spreading and soon everything was burning, except for one airship. And that one was slowly rising up in the air, taking flight to their direction.

"...they're moving this way," Noctis felt the need to point out the obvious, wanting to make sure that he wasn't the only one seeing this.

"Yeah," Libertus confirmed, staring awestruck at the large vehicle coming their way.

"Do you... think it's them?" Noctis asked, trying not to sound too excited. A flying ship would be so much better than a car, especially if it was an airship from the enemy that they could use to get into their base. This was pretty much the same shit as in Star Wars and it just _had_ to work! The stories he would be able to tell afterwards could be worthy of the big stories that he liked growing up.

"It better be them! I don't want a Niflheim airship coming after our sorry asses while Nyx and Ignis are caught up in the rest of their base," Crowe said, brushing a strand of her wild her behind her ear.

Meanwhile, the airship turned its lights on and off and the four of them stared at it until even Noctis realized that it was a code of some sorts.

"It's us... It's us... Okay, I think it's safe to say it's them," Crowe huffed in amusement. "Hit the gas."

Noctis didn't need to be told twice. He floored the gas and took off towards the airship that came their way. It was hard to see at first, but after a few moments it looked like it was opening its 'mouth'.

"Okay. I have no idea what's going on. But I'll jump from there," Noctis said with a foolish level of confidence and pointed to a small lift in the ground, "and get right into the air ship. Its latch is open wide enough, that should be easy as cake."

"Are you sure? Have you ever done anything like that!?" Libertus asked as he reached instinctively for the handle above his head.

"Yeah? Countless times?" Noctis replied and hoped he sounded more confident than he felt, fully focused on the road. Thankfully the lift wasn't too high, they would probably survive the landing, too.

"What the fuck, _when?!_ " Gladio demanded, but before he could answer, Noctis accelerated more and aimed directly for the mouth of the airship. He didn't look left or right, he just prayed that he was doing the right thing.

He didn't have long though, because one moment later they had reached the end of the cliff and Noctis knew that he shouldn't stop accelerating until the very last moment. In the car, everyone screamed while they were flying towards the mouth of the airship, only to scream a little louder when they hit the ramp and were suddenly driving towards the wall at the end of the airship. Noctis slammed the brakes and turned the wheel, just to end up stopping the car in the very last moment.

"Holy Six... We're... we're alive! You didn't kill us! Hahahaha!" Libertus started laughing and sank down in his seat. "Holy fuck, I thought you were going to kill us all, ugh... Okay, let's check out if this thing has some toilets."

"Yeah... yeah, tell me where because I need one, too," Noctis grunted and pulled the keys from the ignition. He climbed out of the car and almost collapsed to the ground because his knees were so weak. As he was clinging to the door, Gladio jumped out of the van as well.

"Tell me... where did you learn to drive like that?" 

"...GTA... and Mario Kart," Noctis replied meekly, shooting a sheepish look up at his Shield.

"Wh- ... Are you shitting me? You almost got us all killed _because you thought you could pull off the stunt driving from a video game_?!" Gladio looked livid.

"Yeah? What, it worked, didn't it?" Noctis replied with a defiant shrug, unable to meet the other's eyes.

For a whole of five minutes, Gladio was speechless. "You're nuts!"

"...Maybe," Noctis breathed, fighting the sudden surge of nausea now that there was no more adrenaline in his bloodstream. "Before you say anything else... I can promise you, I will _never_ do anything like this again."

"You better! Leave the reckless driving to Ignis, at least he has been trained for such things. _In a real car_ ," Gladio huffed, before he hit Noctis' back hard enough to draw the air out of his lungs. "Come on, we gotta go and check out if we've boarded the right ship."

They went around the car just to find Nyx standing at the bottom of some stairs. He looked dirty, his clothes torn in some places, but he was holding a large gun in front of him and looked pretty unharmed otherwise. Laughing, he asked, "Holy shit, did you really just do that?!"

"Yeah, I ... I jumped off a cliff and into the airship. Don't ask me to do it again though, I think it was just fool's luck," Noctis groaned as he approached Nyx, pulling him into a hug. "Thank the Six you're alright."

"Yeah, I managed to stay in one piece. I think a bullet graced me here or there, but I managed to stay out of trouble. Specs... wasn't so lucky," Nyx replied after they broke apart, letting the gun hang on his back.

"Ignis? What's with him?!" Noctis demanded, panic rising in his chest. "Is he dead?"

"He's not dead, but... Well. Come to the bridge and see for yourself," Nyx sighed as he rubbed his shoulder. "I did everything I could, but I'm not sure if it's enough."

Noctis took two steps at once as he climbed up the stairs, hurrying into the room at the end of it. He could see his adviser sitting in front of a console, his fingers moving slowly and carefully over some buttons. A bandage was wrapped around his head, but that was all Noctis could see.

"Noct... is that you?" Ignis asked, turning the chair around in which he sat. 

Noctis gasped when he saw that the bandage wasn't just wrapped around the other's head, no, it covered his eyes. Beneath it, he could still see some burnt skin.

"Ignis... What happened?" he breathed, stumbling forward until he reached the chair. Overwhelmed with guilt he sank down in front of it, reaching out to touch the bandage around the usually bespectacled man's eyes.

"I was... unlucky. One of the last explosions sent a piece of metal right into my face. It... It hit my left eye and burned my skin around it. Nyx did the best he could, but he said that... He doesn't think I will be able to see with that eye again," Ignis explained much too calmly for someone who had just lost his vision.

"No... Ignis, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have let you go-" Noctis started, trying in vain to keep his panic under control. His voice trembled, and he wanted to say so much at once, but was quickly stopped when Ignis held up a hand.

"I volunteered. And without my help, Nyx and I wouldn't have managed to capture this airship. I will manage, I just might need a little longer to... get around," Ignis said with a crooked smile. "Speaking of which, we managed to find the coordinates of the origin of this ship."

Noctis wanted to say so much more, he wanted to help Ignis, wanted to mourn his loss and help him heal, but there were so many more pressing matters at the moment.

"We have put in a course that will takes us right to the heart of this attack," Ignis continued to explain. "There we will find who controlled all of this. But more about this after we've talked about what was going on in the base."

Pushing himself to his feet, Ignis raised his hands to find something to hold onto and so that he wouldn't bump into something, either. Noctis hurried to his side and took his arm, leading him to where the others were talking already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You will not stop me from making blind Ignis say "I see." Not even in this AU. XD I love his dark humor.


End file.
